The City Council discussed the basic logistics
of a public finance program for mayoral and council elections in Seattle last Tuesday. Governor Chris Gregoire signed a bill that afternoon that would allow cities, towns, and counties in Washington
to develop such programs and, if proposals fare well in referendums, to put them in action. If such programs went into effect, candidates who proved that they had sufficient public support could choose to have their campaign funded by the city instead of through private donors. This would shift the importance in election financing away from a candidates’ connections toward the size of their following.
The Council has multiple models of programs for public finance of elections from which to choose. Craig Salins, executive
director of Washington Public Campaigns, urged the council to take cues from Portland’s full-finance model, in which a candidate who had gathered enough supporting signatures and small monetary pledges could receive a predetermined sum of money from the city that would enable them to run a competitive campaign. For those candidates
the city would, up to a certain cap, match the money raised by privately funded competitors.
Alternatively, the council discussed creating a program more like that of San Francisco, in which the city would match any sum of money raised by a candidate at a certain rate – for every $100 raised, for example, the city might supply $50 more.
If the Council designs a program by July, it will appear on the ballot this November. If voters approve, public financing could be enacted in the 2009 city elections. Councilmembers expressed
skepticism over whether such a timeframe is realistic, however. The council also worried about the amount of tax dollars public funding of elections might cost. Councilmember Sally Clark reported that Portland is funding seven candidates right now and predicted that this would cost Portland at least $2 million.
Fellow councilmember Jean Godden,
Finance and Budget Chair of City Council, expressed optimism about the affordability of campaign financing, stating, “I think it could be crafted in such a way that it won’t detract from some of the things we also want to fund, like social programs and public safety.” |
