At Tuesday’s Montgomery County Council public hearing, new legislation was introduced that would amend public campaign financing laws.
The goals of Bill 20-24 are to increase voter participation and create more opportunities for residents to run for office. Additionally, it seeks to curb the influence of monetary contributions made by businesses and political action committees.
The proposed bill would allow candidates to retain more money following the end of their campaign to pay post-election expenses. It would also instate limits on how much money can be contributed to campaigns, with adjustments being made every four years in accordance with the Consumer Price Index.
At this time, candidates can only retain $5,000 from their campaign for post-election expenses. These expenses would include costs such as staff and contractor payments, donor follow-ups, audit reports and office fees. The bill would raise this limit to $10,000 and then increase it every four years based on inflation.
According to Councilmember Evan Glass, the bill would help level the playing field among candidates running for public office.
“This underlying legislation will allow more residents to run for public office which in turn, strengthens our democracy by amplifying the voice of those who matter most,” said Glass.
Council Vice President Kate Stewart has sponsored the bill, along with councilmembers Natali Fani-González, Gabe Albornoz, Kristin Mink, Marilyn Balcomb and Laurie-Anne Sayles.
On Oct. 8 at 1:30 p.m., the committee will hold a public hearing for the bill.
