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(Amended by Ord. No. 183,236, Eff. 10/30/14.)
A. Each candidate for elected City office shall file with the Ethics Commission a statement of acceptance or rejection of matching funds. The statement may not be filed earlier than the date the candidate files a Declaration of Intent to Solicit and Receive Contributions under Charter Section 470(c)(1) and may not be filed later than the final date to file a Declaration of Intention to Become a Candidate under City Election Code Section 301.
B. A candidate who agrees to accept matching funds shall comply with the requirements of the program, including, but not limited to, the expenditure ceilings.
C. A candidate who has filed a statement of acceptance of matching funds may subsequently reject matching funds up to five business days after the final filing date for the Declaration of Intention to Become a Candidate if another candidate in the same race has rejected matching funds. A candidate who subsequently rejects matching funds is a non-participating candidate, shall return to the City any matching funds payments received for that election, and may not receive any further matching funds payments for that election.
A. Agreeing to participate in the matching funds program is binding on the candidate for both the primary election and the general election.
B. A participating candidate who qualifies to receive matching funds in the primary election automatically qualifies to receive matching funds in the general election. A participating candidate who does not qualify to receive matching funds in the primary election, may qualify to receive matching funds through the candidate’s controlled committee for the general election.
C. Qualification means that a participating candidate has met all of the following requirements: (Amended by Ord. No. 183,236, Eff. 10/30/14.)
1. The candidate and the candidate’s controlled committee received qualified contributions that meet the following criteria: (Amended by Ord. No. 186,253, Eff. 9/24/19.)
a. The contributions meet or exceed the following aggregate amounts:
i. For City Council candidates, an amount equal to 100 times the maximum per-contributor amount in Section 49.7.27;
ii. For City Attorney and Controller candidates, an amount equal to 150 times the maximum per-contributor amount in Section 49.7.27;
iii. For Mayoral candidates, an amount equal to 300 times the maximum, per-contributor amount in Section 49.7.27.
Loans, pledges, and non-monetary contributions do not count toward the thresholds.
b. The contributions are not from the candidate or the candidate’s immediate family.
2. The candidate receives qualified contributions of at least five dollars each from 100 individuals residing within the City or, for a City Council candidate, within the council district for which election is sought. (Amended by Ord. No. 185,923, Eff. 1/28/19.)
3. The candidate is certified to appear on the ballot for the election and is not a write-in candidate.
4. The candidate is opposed by a candidate running for the same office who has qualified to appear on the ballot for that election and is not a write-in candidate.
5. The candidate does not contribute or lend more than the following aggregate amounts in personal funds per election:
a. $31,100 for City Council candidates.
b. $124,500 for Citywide candidates.
These amounts are subject to adjustment under Section 49.7.3.
6. The candidate has either participated in a debate with one or more opponents or, if no opponent agrees to debate, conducted a town hall meeting with the public. (Amended by Ord. No. 186,253, Eff. 9/24/19.)
7. The candidate agrees in writing not to exceed the applicable expenditure ceilings.
8. The candidate or the candidate’s controlled committee has filed all previously due campaign statements required by the Political Reform Act, the Charter, this Code, or the Administrative Code.
9. The candidate and the candidate’s treasurer have attended the training required under Section 49.7.12.
10. The candidate does not use matching funds in violation of federal, state, or City law.
11. The candidate does not use matching funds to pay fines, penalties, or inauguration expenses.
D. A participating candidate who does not abide by the terms of the Matching Funds Program is disqualified from receiving matching funds for the remainder of the election cycle and may be required to return all matching funds received for that election cycle. (Amended by Ord. No. 183,236, Eff. 10/30/14.)
(Amended by Ord. No. 185,923, Eff. 1/28/19.)
A. A participating candidate and the candidate’s controlled committee for election to City office may not make expenditures above the following amounts in a primary election:
1. $480,000 for a City Council candidate.
2. $1,119,000 for a Controller candidate.
3. $1,259,000 for a City Attorney candidate.
4. $2,798,000 for a Mayoral candidate.
B. A participating candidate and the candidate’s controlled committee for election to City office may not make expenditures above the following amounts in a general election:
1. $400,000 for a City Council candidate.
2. $840,000 for a Controller candidate.
3. $979,000 for a City Attorney candidate.
4. $2,237,000 for a Mayoral candidate.
C. The expenditure ceilings are subject to adjustment under Section 49.7.3.
(Amended by Ord. No. 183,236, Eff. 10/30/14.)
The applicable expenditure ceiling is no longer binding on a participating candidate in either of the following scenarios:
A. A non-participating candidate in the same race makes or incurs campaign expenditures in excess of the expenditure ceiling; or
B. Independent expenditure communications under Section 49.7.31 A.1. in support of or opposition to any candidate in the same race exceed, in the aggregate, the following amounts:
1. $77,000 in a City Council election;
2. $155,000 in a City Attorney or Controller election;
3. $309,000 in a Mayoral election.
These amounts are subject to adjustment under Section 49.7.3.
(Amended by Ord. No. 183,236, Eff. 10/30/14.)
A candidate shall notify the Ethics Commission in writing within one calendar day of the date the candidate has received more than 100 percent of the applicable expenditure ceiling and again on the day the candidate makes or incurs expenditures totaling more than 100 percent of the applicable expenditure limit. The Ethics Commission shall notify all other candidates for the same office within one business day of receiving the non-participating candidate’s notice.
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