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Ordinance supplementing the Pittsburgh Code, Title One, Administrative, Article XI, Personnel, by adding a new Chapter 198 entitled, "Campaign Finance Regulations."
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Be it resolved by the Council of the City of Pittsburgh as follows:
Section 1. The Pittsburgh Code, Title One, Administrative, Article XI, Personnel, is hereby supplemented by adding a new Chapter 198 entitled, "Campaign Finance Regulations" as follows:
Chapter 198: Campaign Finance Regulations
§198.01 DEFINITIONS
Board. Allegheny County Board of Elections.
Candidate. Any individual who publicly announces his or her candidacy for City Elected Office or Citywide Elected Office. A public announcement shall include, but not be limited to, the filing of public papers requisite to seek City Elected Office or Citywide Elected Office including nomination papers, petitions, or filing papers to create a Candidate Political Committee or owning a Candidate Political Committee.
Candidate Political Committee. A committee and associated bank account established by a candidate for City Elected Office or Citywide Elected Office into which all contributions made in support of a candidate's campaign for elected office shall be made, and out of which all expenditures for that office shall be made.
City Elected Office. The offices of City Council.
Citywide Elected Office. The offices of Mayor and City Controller
Covered Election. Every A primary, general or special election for City Elected Office or Citywide Elected Office.
Election Cycle. Begins on the day after the general election for the office or seat which the candidate seeks and ends on the day of the next general election for that seat or office.
Person. An individual, partnership, corporation, sole proprietorship, or other form of business organization permitted under the laws of the Commonwealth to make political contributions.
Political Committee. Any committee, association, political party, or other group of persons, including the a Candidate Political Committee as required by §198.03 of this ordinance, for the purpose of influencing the outcome of a covered election.
Political Contribution. Money, gifts, forgiveness of debts, loans, or things having a monetary value incurred or received by a candidate for City Elected Office or Citywide Elected Office, or any designation designated agent of a candidate for City Elected Office or Citywide Elected Office, for use in advocating or influencing the election of the candidate for City Elected Office or Citywide Elected Office.
§198.02 CONTRIBUTION LIMITS
(1) The following limits shall apply to contributions to Candidate Political Committees:
(a) No person shall make political contributions to a candidate or candidate political committee per covered election that, in total, exceeds the following limitations:
Candidates for City Elected Office: $1,000
Candidates for Citywide Elected Office: $2,000
(b) No political committee shall make political contributions to a candidate or candidate political committee per covered election that, in total, exceed the following limitations:
Candidates for City Elected Office: $2,000
Candidates for Citywide Elected Office: $4,000
(2) A candidate or candidate political committee may collect both primary and general election campaign contributions at any point during the election cycle.
(3)The limitations on personal and political committee political contributions shall be automatically adjusted to match the rates promulgated by the federal government via the Federal Election Campaign Act (FECA).
(4) The limitations imposed by this Section shall not apply to Volunteer labor hours are not required to be considered contributions for the purposes of this chapter.
(5) No candidate for City Elected Office or Citywide Elected Office, and no political committee, shall accept any contribution which exceeds the contribution limits set forth in this Chapter.
(6) The limitations imposed in this Chapter shall not apply to political contributions from a candidate's personal resources to his or her own candidate political committee. Candidates for City Elected Office or Citywide Elected Office shall declare their intention to contribute personal resources in an amount that exceeds $50,000 per election cycle upon becoming a candidate for a covered election.
(a) If a candidate for City Elected Office or Citywide Elected Office declares her or his intention to contribute personal resources in excess of $50,000 during the election cycle, the limitations imposed by this Chapter shall be doubled for any candidate for that specific City Elected Office or Citywide Elected Office in that specific covered election, and all campaign finance in that specific City Elected Office or Citywide Elected Office in that specific covered election shall be governed by State Law.
(b) If a candidate for City Elected Office or Citywide Elected Office does not declare her or his intention to contribute personal resources in excess $50,000 during the election cycle, but actually does, at any time during the election cycle, contribute personal resources in excess of $50,000, the limitations imposed by this Chapter shall not apply to any candidate for that specific City Elected Office or Citywide Elected Office in that specific covered election, and all campaign finance in that specific City Elected Office or Citywide Elected Office in that specific covered election shall be governed by State Law.
§198.03 CANDIDATE POLITICAL COMMITTEE ACCOUNTS
(1) A candidate for City Elected Office or Citywide Elected Office shall have operate, or participate in the operation of, no more than one Candidate Political Committee and one checking account for the City Elected Office or Citywide Elected Office being sought, into which all contributions for such office shall be made, and out of which all expenditures for that office shall be made, and out of which exclusively expenditures for that office shall be made over the lifetime of the political committee.
(2) If the candidate for office maintains other any current or prior political or non-political accounts for which contributions are or have been solicited to support campaign operations related to a different elected office or referendum, such funds collected in these accounts shall not be used for the purpose of influencing the outcome of a covered election in excess of the limits imposed on other Political Committees.
§198.08 SEVERABILITY
In the event any provision of this section shall be held invalid or unenforceable in any court of competent jurisdiction, such holding shall not invalidate or render unenforceable any other provisions thereof