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Council sends proposed amendments to municipal campaign finance code to full council for public hearing
Summary
Councilors voted to publish proposed changes that clarify the definitions and registration requirements for candidates and political committees, increase disclosure for third-party spending, and set a $200 de minimis threshold.
City staff presented proposed amendments to Roswell’s municipal campaign finance code and the council voted to forward the draft to full council with authority to advertise for a public hearing.
The proposed changes clarify who qualifies as a candidate (filing to run for municipal office, receiving $500 or more in contributions, or spending $500 or more to promote their election) and adjust political-committee definitions so that any group of two or more people acting to support or oppose a candidate or ballot item must register as a political committee. The draft also creates a de minimis reporting threshold for political committees (less than $200 in expenditures), and it narrows and clarifies applicability to distinguish candidate/political-committee activity from issue-only advocacy.
Staff said the amendments are intended to improve disclosure, reflect lessons from recent municipal campaigns and align the code to prevailing case law and practice without unduly burdening small-scale activity. A councilor moved that the council authorize advertising for a public hearing and send the draft to full council; the motion passed.
Ending: The council authorized the public-notice process and directed staff to schedule a public hearing so the full council may consider adoption after the hearing and any amendments.
