Omaha council hears emotional appeals and legal warnings over proposed "Fill the Boot" on-duty fundraising ordinance

The Omaha City Council heard more than an hour of emotional testimony and extended legal questioning on May 19 over an ordinance that would allow city employees to fundraise for nonprofit organizations during working hours.

Supporters told personal stories about the Muscular Dystrophy Association’s (MDA) Fill the Boot campaign and its impact on families and research. Trevor Towey, president of Omaha Professional Firefighters, said firefighters once raised money on street corners and that the in-uniform, on-duty drives "bring everybody together" while also feeding a major fundraising stream for MDA. An MDA official said on-duty intersection drives raise about two-and-a-half times more than off-duty events and stressed the program’s role in funding clinical care and research (Heather Miller, MDA).

The ordinance amends city code section 23-127 to create a narrow exception allowing directors to approve limited fundraising by their departments. City law department attorney Matt Cozzi told the council the draft was written carefully to respond to a 16-year-old advisory opinion from the Nebraska Accountability and Disclosure Commission (NADC), but he cautioned "there is no guarantee that fire department employees will be able to participate in the Fill the Boot campaign on Labor Day." Cozzi said directors must determine whether a fundraising request "fits within the mission of the office" and whether departmental operations could be harmed.

Several council members pressed on practical limits and possible unintended effects. Councilmember Amy Goodwin noted the ordinance allows each of about 14 departments up to five fundraising activities per year and estimated—using conservative staffing examples—that full use of the allowance could cost the city thousands of employee hours annually. "If all 14 departments do five a year, we're looking at 5,600 hours," Goodwin said, urging transparency and council notification for individual events.

Supporters said the council should restore a longstanding tradition for firefighters in particular, who can staff corners while remaining available to respond to calls. Towey told the council that his crews previously performed boot drives without compromising response capacity because crew radios and vehicles kept them ready to leave immediately if needed.

Officials and nonprofit advocates suggested safeguards to reduce risk: limiting fundraising to a small number of hours per event, requiring director approval based on operational capacity, and using existing third-party nonprofit vetting tools. Nick Coler of the Nonprofit Association of the Midlands recommended a public-private advisory approach and best-practice screening to help departments choose beneficiaries.

No formal action was taken at the May 19 session; councilmembers requested time to consider amendments that would add transparency measures and operational limits. The ordinance will return to a future meeting for further council action.