(A) Contribution limitation. No person, political action committee, separate segregated fund, political contribution entity, campaign committee, political party or other organization, as such terms are defined in R.C. Chapter 3517, shall make and no candidate for ward Council member shall accept a contribution or in-kind contribution combined from the same source of more than $185 per calendar year and no candidate for at-large Council member shall accept a contribution or in-kind contribution combined from the same source of more than $310 per calendar year. Campaign contribution limits shall be automatically adjusted every four years, beginning in 2025, by the Clerk of Council to reflect the yearly average of the previous four years of the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers, as determined by the United States Department of Labor or successor entity. In February of each year that there is to be an adjustment, the City Clerk will calculate the new limits. Adjustments made pursuant to this section shall be rounded to the nearest $5. The updated limits must be completed and published on the city website by March 1st of the year that they are updated. The adjustments shall be effective upon publication, and shall apply to any election occurring after the effective date.
(B) Application.
(1) This section shall apply to all candidates for all elected city offices and political action committees, separate segregated funds, political contributing entities, political parties, and any other organization making an expenditure, as such term is defined in R.C. Chapter 3517 in support of or in opposition to candidates for city elected offices.
(2) This section shall not apply to services provided without compensation by persons volunteering a portion or all of their time on behalf of a person, ordinary home hospitality, or the personal expenses of a volunteer paid for by that volunteer campaign worker.
(C) Contribution definition. Contribution means any money, load, gift, deposit, forgiveness of indebtedness, donation, advance, payment, or transfer of funds or anything of value, including a transfer of funds from an inter vivos or testamentary trust or decedent's estate, which contribution is received for the purpose of influencing the results of an election. The date of a contribution is the date that it is received, not the date of deposit or the date on a check.
(D) In-kind contribution definition. In-kind contribution means anything of value other than money that is used to influence the results of an election or is transferred to or used in support of or in opposition to a candidate, campaign committee and that is made with the consent of, in coordination, cooperation, or consultation with, or at the request or suggestion of the benefitted candidate or campaign committee. When disclosing in-kind contributions pursuant to § 31.08 a candidate or campaign committee shall give a fair market value to the in-kind contribution.
(E) Candidate resources. The limitations imposed by this section shall not apply to contributions of a candidate's own resources to the candidate's own campaign.
(F) Independent expenditures. The limitations imposed by this section shall not apply to independent expenditures. Independent expenditures shall mean expenditures by a person, political action committee, separate segregated fund, political contributing entity, unaffiliated campaign committee, political party, or other organization advocating the election or defeat of an identified candidate or candidates, that is not made with the consent of, in coordination, cooperation, or consultation with, or at the request or suggestion of any candidate or candidates or of the campaign committee or agent of the candidate or candidates.
(Ord. 50-99, passed 5-17-99; Am. Ord. 04-09, passed 5-4-09; Am. Ord. 90-21, passed 12-6-21)