HomeMy WebLinkAboutordinance.council.042-75RECORD OF PROCEEDINGS
100 Leaves
(Series of 1975)
AN ORDINANCE IMPOSING LIMITATIONS ON COMPAIGN EXPENDITURES FOR
CANDIDATES SEEKING PUBLIC OFFICE WITHIN THE CITY OF ASPEN AND
CALCULATING THE LIMITATIONS ACCORDING TO THE NUMBER OF REGISTER-
ED VOTERS AT THE PREVIOUS MUNICIPAL ELECTION; FURTHER LIMITING
EXPENDITURES IN SUPPORT OF OR IN OPPOSITION TO ELECTION ISSUES
TO TEN THOUSAND ($10,000.00) DOLLARS; A~D IMPOSING PENALTIES FOR
VIOLATION OF THESE PROVISIONS INCLUDING FINES AND IMPRISONMENT
NOT TO EXCEED THREE HUNDRED ($300.00) DOLLARS AND/OR NINETY (90)
DAYS; AND FURTHER PROVISING ON'CONVICTION FOR FORFEITURE OF THE
OFFICE TO WHICH ELECTED
WHEREAS, the Colorado Campaign Reform Act of 1974,
~hile establishing campaign disclosure requirements, ~rovides
that any home rule municipality may adopt ordinances or charter
provisions with respect to its local elections which are more
stringent than any or all of the provisions of said Act, and
WHEREAS, it is the determination of the Aspen city
Council that, in addition to disclosure requirements, there should
be imposed limitations on campaign expenditures to enhance the
integrity of the election process,
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT ORDAINED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF
THE CITY OF ASPEN, ~OLORADO.
Section 1
Definitions. For the purpose of this ordinance, the
following definitions shall apply:
a. Candidate. A person is a candidate for office if he
has publicly announced his intention to seek election to the office
of mayor or member of the city council of the City of Aspen, has
filed with the City Clerk his or her nominating petition for such
office, or has been chosen to fill a vacancy on the city council.
~3. Election. "Election" ~eans any municipal general
or special election held within the city of Aspen at which any
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issue is submitted to the electorate or person or persons are
elected to fill the office of mayor or councilman or council-
%~oman of the city. "Election" includes any initiative,referendum
or recall election.
c. Expenditure. "Expenditure" means the payment, pledge,
promise of payment of money or anything of value, or other oblig-
ation, loan or advance of money~, whether or not legally enforceable,
for goods, materials, services or facilities, by any candidate,
political committee, or agent of either, for the purpose of in-
fluencing the passage or defeat of any issues,or the nomination,
retention, election or defeat of any candidate.
d. Issue. "Issue" means any proposition submitted by
the city Council, or initiated or referred measure, which is to
be submitted to the electorate for their approval or rejection.
!~ issue includes the recall of any officer as provided by law.
e. Person. "~erson" shall mean any individual, l?artner-
ship, corporation, association, firm, committee, clerk, govern-
mental entity, or other organization or group of persons, however
organized.
f. Political Committee. "Political Committee" means
any two or more persons who are elected, appointed, or chosen, or
who have associated themselves or cooperated for the purpose of mak-
ing expenditures to support or oppose a candidate for public office
at any municipal election of the City of Aspen or to influence -
the passage or defeat of any issue at any such election.
Section 2
Prohibition. ~o candidate nor political committee, or
agent on behalf of either, shall make expenditures in any election
in support of a candidate for the office of mayor in an amount ex-
ceeding an expenditure limitation calculated by multiplying the
total number of electors registered to vote at the last general
municipal election times One ($1.00) Dollar. No candidate nor
political committee, or agent on behalf of either, shall make
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expenditures in any election in support of a candidate for the
office of city councilman or city councilwoman in an amount
exceeding an expenditure limitation calculated by multiplying the
total number of electors registered to vote at the last general
municipal election times Fifty ($.50) Cents. No person nor
political committee, or agent on behalf of either, shall make
expenditures in any election fo~ the purpose of influencing the
passage or defeat of any issue in an amount exceeding Ten
Thousand ($10,000.00) Dollars.
Section 3
Penalties. Ail records of expenditures shall be made,
filed and retained as required by the provisions of the colorado
Campaign Reform Act of 1974. Failure to comply with the pro-
visions of this ordinance in any respect shall have no effect
on the validity of any election, issue, or bonds issued pursuant
to law, except that the following penalties and forfeitures shall
apply:
a. Any person who knowingly violates any provision of
this ordinance shall be punished by a fine not exceeding Three
Hundred(S300.00) Dollars or imprisonment for a period of not
more than ninety (90) days or both such fine and imprisonment.
D. ~y candidate who knowingly violates any provision
of this ordinance, or who conspires with another to violate any
provision of this ordinance, shall, in addition to any other
penalties provided for herein, be denied his or her right to take
oath for the office to which he or she was elected, unless he or
she has already taken said oath, in which event the office shall
be deemed vacated and shall be filled as otherwise provided by
law.
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Section 4
If any provision of this ordinance or the application
thereof to any person or circumstance is held invalid, such
invalidity shall not affect other provisions or applications of
the ordinance which can be given effect without the invalid pro-
visions or applications, and to this end the provisions or applic-
ations of this ordinance are declared to be severable.
Section 5
A public hearing on this ordinance shall be held on
the ~ day of ~/~<~-~ , 1975, at 1 P.~I. in the City
Council Chambers, Aspen City Hall, Aspen, Colorado.
INTRODUCED, READ AND ORDERED published as provided
by law by the City Council of the City of Aspen, at its regular
meeting held ~ , 1975.
Kathryn ~uter
City Clerk
APPROVED 1975.
FINALLY ADOPTED AND ~~~J~'
Stay st~dle~y III, ~!ayor /
Ka~hryn ~uter
City Clerk
STATE OF COLORADO[ )
) ss
COUNTY OF PITKIN )
CERTIFICATE
I, Kathryn S. Hauter, City Clerk of Aspen, Colorado,
do hereby certify that the above and foregoing ordinance was
introduced, read in full, and passed on ~
reading at a regular meeting of the City Council of the.
City of Aspen on ~ 7/ , 197~ , and publish-
ed in the Aspen Times a weekly newspaper of general circul-
ation, published in the.City of Aspen, Colorado, in its
issue of__ ~ /~_~ , 197,~ , and was finally adopted
.! z
and approved at a regular meeting of
Ordinance No. ~
provided by law.
the City Council on
, 197~ and ordered publiShed as
, Series of 197~ , of said City, as
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand and
.the seal of said City of Aspen, Colorado, this ~/~z~
day of ~ , 197~-~.
Kakhryn ff. Hauter, City Clerk