You Can Give More Money Now

The $1,000 campaign contribution limit imposed on City Council candidates by Cincinnati's charter goes up 100 bucks, the city tells candidates today.

Here's part of the letter from Jill P. Meyer, chairwoman, Cincinnati Elections Commission:

"Upon review of the “additional duties” listed for the CEC in Article XIII, Section 4 of the Charter (see bold text, below), it was determined that the contribution limits for the 2007 election are required to be adjusted by “the same percentage as the periodic adjustments to the salaries of the mayor and a council member, rounded up to the nearest one hundred dollars.” Per the terms of the Charter, such adjustments are required to be made “every four years.”

Based on the Council salary increases which took place in the last four years, the contribution rates imposed by Article XIII of the Cincinnati Charter for the 2007 Council election cycle will be increased as follows:

Total individual contribution: $1100 (increase of $100);
PAC: $2700 (increase of $200);
Political Party or Legislative Campaign Fund: $10,500 (increase of $500). "

Therefore, for example, if an individual contributor donated $1000 to a Council campaign prior to the reporting deadline for the 120-day filing report, that contributor could contribute an additional $100 to the same Council campaign during the 2007 election cycle. Likewise, for example, if a PAC donated $2500 to a particular Council campaign prior to the reporting deadline for the 120-day filing report, that PAC could contribute an additional $200 to the same Council campaign during the 2007 election cycle. Similarly, if an individual had not previously contributed any funds to a particular Council campaign, that individual could contribute a total of $1100 to that Council campaign during the 2007 election cycle. Likewise, if a PAC had not previously donated any funds to a particular Council campaign prior to the reporting deadline for the 120-day filing report, that PAC could contribute a total of $2700 to that Council campaign during the 2007 election cycle. The same analysis would apply to Political Parties or Legislative Campaign Funds, whose total contribution limits increased to $10,500."

And here's that bold text: 2) Every four years, the commission shall adjust the contribution limits in section 1 and the matchable contribution limit in section 3 by the same percentage as the periodic adjustments to the salaries of the mayor and a council member, rounded up to the nearest one hundred dollars.