10-14-74 Council Meeting Minutes

Home Browse Search

REGULAR MEETING OCTOBER 14, 1974 Be it remembered that the Common Council of the City of South Bend met in the Council Chambers of the County -City Building on Monday, October 14, 1974, at 7:05 p.m., Council President Peter J. Nemeth presiding. The meeting was called to order and the Pledge to the Flag was given. ROLL CALL PRESENT:. Councilmen Serge, Szymkowiak, Miller, Parent, Taylor, Kopczynski, Horvath, Newburn and Nemeth. ABSENT: None. Council President Nemeth announced , that item 11D on the agenda, being a resolution approving the transition of the city's comprehensive demonstration program, would not be heard at this meeting but would be set over until the October 28th Council meeting Councilman Kopczynski made a motion to resolve into the Committee of the Whole, seconded by Councilman Horvath. The motion carried. COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE MEETING Be it remembered that the Common Council of the City of South Bend met in the Committee of the Whole on Monday, October 14, 1974, at 7 :06 p.m., with nine members present. Chairman Odell Newburn presided. He explained that, in the Committee of the Whole portion of the meeting, the public hearings were held on the ordinances. He encouraged participation from the audoence and indicated that he would try to be fair and give everyone an opportunity to speak. He stated that, after the public has had a chance to speak, the public hearing would be closed and only comments from the Council members would be heard. ORDINANCE AN ORDINANCE ESTABLISHING FAIR CAMPAIGN PRACTICES WITHIN THE CITY OF SOUTH BEND. This being the time heretofore set for public hearing on the above ordinance, proponents and opponents were given an opportunity to be heard. Council President Nemeth made the presentation for the ;ordinance. He stated that he had introduced the ordinance on July 2nd and the first heari g had been held on August 12. He indicated that several recommendations were made by citizens since the ordinance had been -filed and another hearing had been held on September 23rd, at which time h had moved to amend the ordinance to incorporate some of the recommendations made. He indicated that, basically, the ordinance covered the limitation of campaign contributions, expenditures, and prohibited the one percent club. He stated that he had included a provision for an enforcement body. He thanked the League of Women Voters and the American Association of University Women for their time spent in trying to come up with a workable ordinance. He felt there would be no useful purpose in going over the ordinance again, and he stated that the-rest would be up to the Council. Mrs.. Nancy Kommers,, 314 East Pokagon, President of the League of Women Voters, once again urged that the Council act favorably on a fair campaign practices ordinance for the city, hopefully compromising between Council President Nemeth's ordinance and Mayor Miller's ordinance. Council President Nemeth made a motion to amend the original ordinance as proposed to be amended at the September 23rd meeting, seconded by Councilman Kopczynski. Councilman Parent felt the section restricting the amount of money spent on a campaign should be amended. He wondered if the Council could legislate in that area. He indicated that other portions of the ordinance were already covered by the statutes. The motion to amend carried. Councilman Parent then made a motion to amend the ordinance further by deleting Section VI, which was already covered by the statutes, and amending Section VIII(b) to read: No candidate or political committee acting in furtherance of the nomination or election of said candidate shall expend any money that will cause the cumulative amount expended on behalf of that candidate to exceed two times the annual salary paid for the current calendar year for the City office which the candidate seeks. Said limitation shall apply separately to the primary and general election. Councilman Horvath seconded the motic to amend further. - Councilman Miller stated ;that _$150,000 could possibly be spent on a city election if Councilman Parent's motion passed. Councilman Parent stated that all the expenditures would not be duplicate l. He stated that he was talking about candidates running individual races. Council President Nemeth stated that he had received some help from a model campaign ordinance in drafting his ordinance, aid he felt that, in the case of the Mayor's election, the suggested amount was $12,000 and $25,000 should be sufficient. Councilman Taylor felt that the voter would be more interested in the part of the ordinance that called for complete disclosure of all campaign finances several times before an election and also after the election. He felt the Council should concentrate on that issue, and he indicated that he agreed with Councilman Parent's amendments. Councilman Parent felt that the issue was that the incumbent does not need to spend as much as the outsider. He felt the newcomer was being restricted from coming into politics. He stated that that was the reason why' he wanted to keep the maximum amount for expenditures at a high figure. He called for the questi Chairman Newburn asked for a roll call vote to stop debate. Debate was stopped by a vote of five ayes (Councilmen' Serge, Parent, Taylor, Horvath and Newburn) and four nays (Councilmen Szymkowiak, Miller, Kopczynski and Nemeth). Chairman Newburn then requested a roll call vote on Councilman Parent's motion to further amend the ordinance. The amendments passed by a vote of five ayes (Councilmen Serge, Parent, Taylor, Horvath and Newburn) and four nays (Councilmen Szymkowiak, Miller, Kopczynski and Nemeth). Councilman Parent then made a motion that the ordinance be recommended favorably to the Council, as amended, seconded by Councilman Serge. The motion carriel