CITY OF BOULDER CAMPAIGN FINANCE REFORM (CFR) INITIATIVE
The CFR Initiative was passed by the voters of Boulder in 1999. Its purpose is to assure the public that (1) excessive campaign costs and large contributions do not cause corruption or the appearance of corruption in the election process; (2) large contributions will not be used to buy political access or to influence the political process; and (3) access to large amounts of money will not be a prime requirement for participation in the political process.
This ordinance limits contributions to a candidate from any person to $100. The city will provide matching funds up to 50% of the expenditure limit (15 cents per registered voter) to any city council candidate who (1) raises at least 10% of the expenditure limit from individual contributors (no more than $25 of each contribution may be counted toward the 10%); (2) agrees to limit expenditures to 15 cents per registered voter; (3) agrees to contribute no more than 20% of the expenditures from the candidate's own money. The ordinance also deals with independent expenditures and enforcement.
The initiative process began in 1997 when, in a special election, Tom Eldridge as a candidate raised over $40,000. It was a wake-up call to several citizens as well as the League. A committee was formed which included Sue Anderson and Pat Johnson from the League as well as former Council member Allyn Feinberg and soon-to-be Mayor, Mark Ruzzin. In the next City Council election in November 1997, the committee asked all the candidates to sign a pledge to voluntarily limit the contributions they would accept and to limit their expenditures. Half of the candidates signed the pledge, and three of those candidates won seats on the city council. This exercise proved that a candidate who had broad support in the community could get elected without spending a large amount of money. From there, the committee decided that it could not monitor campaigns forever and therefore there would need to be a city ordinance. The next six months were spent drafting the initiative. Pete Maysmith from CO Common Cause acted as an advisor to the committee. With the help of members of the League of Women Voters of Boulder Valley as well as Common Cause, the required number of signatures was gathered on the initiative petition by early June. The initiative was certified to be on the ballot in November 1999; it passed with over 60% of the vote.
The resulting ordinance has been very successful. At each League-sponsored City Council candidate forum, candidates are asked if they have agreed to abide by the spending limits and why. Many candidates have agreed and have said that they like not having to spend their time raising money. Some candidates have said that without public funds they could not have run for City Council. Because the ordinance requires candidates to demonstrate broad based community support, some candidates who would like to be able to take city money have not qualified for it. Over the years, many of the candidates who chose not to take city money for their campaigns still agreed to abide by the spending limit set by the ordinance. In the 2009 election, six of the thirteen candidates agreed to the spending limits and accepted city matching funds. Three of these six candidates were elected to the City Council.
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