RESOLUTION No. SUBSTITUTE 36208

Direct the City Auditor , Commissioner of Public Works and Mayor, with technical assistance from City Attorney and Office of Management and Finance, to develop a clean campaign system for City Auditor, City Commissioner and Mayoral elections. (Resolution)

WHEREAS, Citizens believe that campaign contributions influence the behavior of their elected officials;

WHEREAS, a strong majority of Portland voters, 57%, supported a measure to enact a clean campaign system for state elections, Measure 6, in the 2000 general election;

WHEREAS, a campaign finance system that rewards candidates for having the best vision for the city rather than the best fundraising skills would improve citizens’ perceptions about and the actual operations of the city;

WHEREAS, a system that provides well-qualified candidates with adequate funding to mount citywide campaigns will produce competitive elections that will provide citizens in Portland with real choices about the leadership and direction of the city;

WHEREAS, only 10 of the last 40 elections for Mayor, City Commissioner or City Auditor produced a competitive general election campaign;

WHEREAS, guaranteeing equal funding for well-qualified candidates will allow candidates to spend more time talking to citizens about important issues and less time talking with campaign contributors about raising money for campaigns;

WHEREAS, the public interest will be better protected by a clean campaign system than the current system that requires candidates to raise money from private interests that do business with the City;

WHEREAS, citizens who would not otherwise think of running for City office because of the amount of money and fundraising that is required by the current system would be able to mount viable campaigns if a clean campaign system were in place;

WHEREAS, elected officials, citizens and political observers agree that the level of civic discourse and decision-making has dramatically improved in jurisdictions that have adopted clean campaign systems;

NOW THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the City Auditor, Commissioner of Public Works and Mayor are directed to develop proposed code language by July 1, 2004 that would establish a clean campaign finance system for the 2006 and thereafter City Auditor, City Commissioner, and Mayoral elections, pursuant to which candidates could voluntarily agree to limit spending and take no private or personal contributions after meeting strict qualifying requirements; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the City Auditor, Commissioner of Public Works and Mayor are directed to develop proposed code language by July 1, 2004 that would establish a requirement for full and instant disclosure of all campaign contributions for the 2006 and thereafter City Auditor, City Commissioner, and Mayoral elections for those candidates who choose not participate in the clean campaign finance system; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the City Attorney and Office of Management and Finance are directed to provide technical assistance and advice to the Auditor, Commissioner of Public Works and Mayor as they develop the details of the proposed system; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the City Attorney and Office of Management and Finance are directed to provide technical assistance to develop multiple methods of financing the proposed system. The financing methods should include options that do not rely solely on city of Portland revenue, and no option can have a greater impact on individual city funds than two tenths of one percent nor can any option raise new taxes or fees.

Adopted by the Council,  April 7, 2004        GARY BLACKMER

                 Auditor of the City of Portland

Commissioner Jim Francesconi          By /S/Susan Parsons

Commissioner Erik Sten

Auditor Gary Blackmer

Marshall Runkel                   Deputy

Michael Harrison

April 7, 2004

BACKING SHEET INFORMATION

AGENDA NO. S 316-2004

ORDINANCE/RESOLUTION/COUNCIL DOCUMENT NO. SUBSTITUTE 36208