Committee on Ethics & Government Oversight
Chicago City Council July 20, 2022
ORDINANCE ESTABLISHING PUBLICLY FINANCED ELECTIONS
WHEREAS, The participation of residents in municipal elections is vital to preserving democratic governance; and
WHEREAS, Funding for municipal candidates' electoral efforts is a highly consequential part of the electoral process; and
WHEREAS, In the last decade, funding in municipal elections has increasingly originated from corporations located outside of City limits and from non-residents of the City; and
WHEREAS, The financial contributions of corporations and non-residents of the City should not supersede the impact of contributions from and the participation of City residents; and
WHEREAS, The independence and objectivity of elected municipal officials is necessary for the efficient and effective functioning of City government; now, therefore,
BE IT ORDAINED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF CHICAGO:
SECTION 1. Title 1 of the Municipal Code of the City of Chicago is hereby amended by deleting Chapter 1-25 in its entirety and replacing it with a new Chapter 1-25, as follows:
Chapter 1-25 CHICAGO FAIR ELECTIONS ORDINANCE
25-010 Definitions.
For purposes of this chapter, the following definitions apply:
"Authorized committee" means the candidate political committee designated by a participating candidate to receive public matching funds under this Chapter.
"Person who has business dealings with the City" means: (a) any person "doing business", as defined in Chapter 2-156; and (b) any person required to register as a lobbyist under Chapter
156.
"Board" means the Fair Elections Board established in this Chapter.
"Board of Election Commissioners" means the Board of Election Commissioners for the City of Chicago.
"City" means the City of Chicago.
"Candidate political committee" means a candidate political committee as defined in the Illinois Election Code, 10 ILCS 5/9-1 et. seq.
"Contribution" means a gift, subscription, do...
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