The Independent View: Reforms to New York City Campaign Finance System

The New York City Council’s Committee on Governmental Operations, Chaired by Ben Kallos (D-5th District), held a hearing on May 2, 2016, to examine a package of eight bills that would reform Campaign Finance rules and improve the City’s public Matching Funds program, which, though it has some critics, is often held up as a National model.

The bills, introduced in November 2015, aim to implement recommendations made by the New York City Campaign Finance Board (NYCCFB) after the 2013 City election cycle. Perhaps most notably, the bills would eliminate Public Matching funds for contributions bundled by people who do business with the City, provide earlier public matching funds to candidates, and improve disclosure requirements for companies or people that own entities that do business with the City.

Bill List

Int 0980-2015 - This bill would set the contribution limits for transition and inauguration entities of winning campaigns for local office at the same level as the campaign contribution limits for that office. It would also clarify that candidates need not set up separate entities if they wish to self-fund their transition and inauguration entity in part.

Int 0985-2015 - This bill would eliminate the possibility of matching, with public funds, any contribution to a candidate for Local office that is bundled by a lobbyist or person who has, or may have, business dealings with the City.

Int 0986-2015 - This bill would allow for the earlier disbursement of limited amounts of public money to qualifying candidates who wish to participate in the City’s Public Matching Campaign Finance system during their campaigns. It would change the earliest possible date for disbursement from following the finalization of the candidates who qualify for the ballot to shortly after the deadline for certification for participation in the Public Matching program.

Int 0987-2015 - This bill would modify the standard for contributions raised and spent by candidates who participate in the City’s Public Funding Matching program in order to be eligible to participate in the first official debate for the office they seek. It would change the formula for eligibility from having raised 20% of the threshold for public funding for the office they seek to having raised and spent 2.5% of the expenditure limit for such office. The effect of this would be to increase the minimum funds raised to between 300% and 400% of the previous minimums.

Int 0988-2015 - This bill would allow voters to opt-out of receiving a printed copy of the Campaign Finance Board’s Voter Guide, which is currently prepared and mailed to every household with a registered voter prior to Local elections. It would also require the Campaign Finance Board to produce a Voter Guide, though not necessarily in a printed format, for State and Federal election races.

Int 0990-2015 - Under current law, candidates for Local office who choose to participate in the City’s Public Money Matching program may receive contributions from a Political Committee only if such committee has registered with the Campaign Finance Board, but candidates who choose not to participate in the Matching Program may accept contributions from Political Committees regardless of whether they are registered with the Campaign Finance Board. This bill would extend the prohibition on the acceptance of contributions from non-registered Political Committees to non-participating Candidates.

Int 1001-2015 - This bill would add the names of entities with a 10% or greater ownership stake in entities that conduct business with the City to the “Doing Business Database” maintained by the City. Individuals with a 10% or greater stake in entities that conduct business with the City are already included in the Database.

Int 1002-2015 - This bill would require the Conflicts of Interest Board to maintain records of compliance with the annual Conflicts of Interest law for candidates who participate in the City’s Public Matching Campaign Finance program. Such records would be provided to the Campaign Finance Board upon request. This system would replace the current system, in which candidates are required to obtain a Receipt of Compliance from the Conflicts of Interest Board, and to provide such receipt to the Campaign Finance Board.