Houston committee debates requiring backup campaign records, posting non‑filers to ethics commission

The Ethics and Governance Committee received a briefing on the City of Houston’s role as a local filing authority for campaign finance reports, personal financial statements and candidate applications and debated proposed local changes to increase transparency and enforcement.

Senior Assistant City Attorney Daniel Folsom and General Counsel Section Chief Rashad Gambrell told the committee that campaign finance reporting is governed by state law under Title 15 of the Texas Election Code and that the Texas Ethics Commission is the enforcement agency for violations. Folsom noted the city’s current electronic filing system is legacy technology and said the city is working toward a modernized platform similar to the state’s.

Councilmember Julian Ramirez proposed two main changes: require candidates to upload supporting campaign documentation (for example, "copies of a bank statement, copies of a credit card statement, copies of checks") when they file reports, and have the City Secretary post a list of candidates who did not file or filed late within 24 hours of the deadline and report non‑filers to the Texas Ethics Commission. Ramirez said this would help the public know who is complying and provide evidence that amounts reported are accurate. He warned that, without supporting documents, "a candidate could list donations that are made up in order to make their candidacy look stronger." (Councilmember Julian Ramirez, first reference.)

Legal staff cautioned about limits and costs. Folsom said some additional filing could be handled as a supplemental local form, but privacy and public‑records issues would need review and possible Attorney General guidance before the city could withhold sensitive data. Gambrell said the city already has a statutory duty under Chapter 145 of the Local Government Code: after 10 days from the close of the filing period the City Secretary must notify the city attorney about missing personal financial statements. Gambrell also reminded the committee that a failure to file a personal financial statement can carry criminal and civil penalties: "A failure to file a personal financial statement is ... a class B misdemeanor and you could be fined up to $1,000." (Rashad Gambrell, General Counsel Section Chief.)

Committee members raised implementation concerns: the city would likely incur vendor and coding costs to accept attachments and to secure sensitive documents; the Attorney General may need to rule on what parts of backup documentation must be disclosed on Public Information Act requests; and only the Texas Ethics Commission can assess fines for late or missing campaign reports. Folsom said the mayor’s office and administration are working toward a new filing system; the earliest target mentioned for moving campaign filings to a new platform was the January 2026 semiannual report, though officials said that timeline could change.

No ordinance or binding policy change was adopted. Committee members generally supported posting non‑filers on the City Secretary’s website and reporting persistent non‑filers to the Texas Ethics Commission, subject to further legal review and details about security, costs and redaction procedures. Staff agreed to pursue additional analysis of technical needs, privacy safeguards and any Attorney General guidance needed before the council considers an ordinance to implement Ramirez’s proposals.

Background: The City Secretary’s Office acts as the local filing authority for municipal candidates and elected officials; state law (Title 15, Texas Election Code) sets filing rules and gives enforcement authority to the Texas Ethics Commission. Candidate applications are filed with the mayor’s office and reviewed by multiple city offices for form and jurisdictional compliance.