Establishing Fair Campaign Practices within the City of South Bend

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ORDINANCE NO. AN ORDINANCE ESTABLISHING FAIR CAMPAIGN PRACTICES WITHIN THE CITY OF SOUTH BEND. BE IT ORDAINED by the Common Council of the City of South Bend, Indiana: SECTION I. TITLE OF ACT Act". This Act shall be known as the "Fair Campaign Practices SECTION II. INTENT AND PURPOSES In order to give the citizens of our City reason to have faith in our electoral process by protecting the rights of the less affluent to run for City Office, and insuring the quality of the voting rights of each citizen by limiting the influence of large contributions on candidates, the Common Council believes that it is necessary to provide for effective electoral reform on the local level. The Council further believes that the provisions of this Act are not inconsistent with the laws of the State of Indiana, that the power of the Council to enact such a law is not expressly denied by State law and that this Act is in the best interests of the people of the City of South Bend. SECTION III. DEFINITIONS When used in this Act -- (a) "Candidate" means an individual who seeks nomina- tion for election, or election, to City Office, whether or not such individual is elected, and, for purposes of this act, an individual shall be deemed to seek nomination for election, or election, to City Office, if he has (1) taken the action necessary under State or local laws to qualify himself for nomination for election, or election, or (2) received contributions or made expenditures, or has given his consent for any other person to receive contributions or make expenditures, with a view to bringing about his nomination for election, or election, to such office. (b) "City Office" means the office of Mayor, Councilman or Clerk of the City of South Bend, Indiana. (c) "Contribution" means -- (1) a gift, subscription, loan, advance, or deposit of money or anything of value (except a loan of money by any governmentally regulated financial institution in the ordinary course of business), made for the purpose of influencing the nomination for election, or election, of any person to City Office; (2) a contract, promise, or agreement, express or implied, whether or not legally enforceable, to make a contribution for such purposes; (3) a transfer of funds between political committees; (4) the payment, by any person other than a candidate or political committee, of compensation for the personal services of another person which are rendered to such candidate or political committee without charge for any such purposes; and (5) notwithstanding the foregoing meanings of "Contribution ", the word shall not be construed to include services Provided without compensation by individuals volunteering a portion or all of their time on behalf of a candidate or political committee.