A. Subject to the city clerk's providing notice pursuant to subsection B of this section, the voluntary expenditure ceiling shall be lifted as to any candidate running for a city elective office upon the occurrence of one of the following:
1. If another candidate for the same office declines to accept the voluntary expenditure ceilings and receives contributions, has cash on hand, or makes qualified campaign expenditures in excess of seventy-five (75) percent of the recommended expenditure ceiling for that office; or
2. If an independent expenditure committee or committees in the aggregate spend more than fifty (50) percent of the applicable recommended expenditure ceiling for that same office in support of or in opposition to any other candidate for that office.
B. Upon a determination that one or more of the events specified in subsection A of this section, has occurred, the city clerk shall notify candidates of the occurrence of such event(s) and shall indicate those candidates for city elective office who are entitled to exceed the expenditure limits established by this chapter. The city clerk shall base his or her determination upon the information disclosed in the notification provided by a candidate under Section 2.14.070 and/or upon the information disclosed on any city supplemental statement or form filed under this chapter or Chapter 2.13 or any campaign statement filed under the Political Reform Act or the Regulations by candidates for city elective office or by committees making independent expenditures. No candidate who accepted the voluntary expenditure limits may exceed the expenditure limits except upon notice by the city clerk pursuant to this section.
C. Any candidate running for a city elective office for which the voluntary expenditure ceiling has been lifted who originally accepted the voluntary expenditure ceilings, who did not rescinded his or her statement of acceptance under Section 2.14.100(C), and who qualified for matching funds as set forth in Sections 2.14.100, 2.14.130 and 2.14.140, shall be permitted to continue receiving matching funds. (Ord. 2005-071 § 2; Ord. 2003-046 § 1)