County taxpayers may pay for races

Salt Lake County's latest attempt at campaign finance reform may leave taxpayers footing the bill for aspiring candidates.

The proposed Fair Elections Ordinance would give candidates a cut of the county's budget to run their campaigns if they meet strict limits on how much they can spend to win an elected seat.

That chunk could average out to about $1 million doled out from county funds per election year, Councilwoman Jenny Wilson said.

Wilson, who headed up the county's ethics subcommittee, plans to bring the idea before the county council to test whether publicly financed campaigns will fly with the majority Republican group.

"I've always thought that publicly funded campaigns solve all the problems. It's a good deal for the public," Councilman Jim Bradley said. "It takes away all inside dealings. I've seen too many compromises that are made because of special interest influence."

The volunteer program would require candidates to raise a certain amount of small donations of less than $250 per contribution before the candidate is eligible to receive a government match.

For at-large candidates, for example, a candidate must raise $12,000 in small donations for a general election before receiving a one-to-one match that will max out at $24,000 from the county.

"The candidate is encouraged not just to receive this chunk of cash, but to go out and initiate grass-roots activities so they're really in touch with the public," Wilson said.

But the money does come with some strings attached, including a cap on spending set at $120,000 during a general election for an at-large candidate and $60,000 for a district seat.

Campaign contributions would also be capped at $1,000 from any individual and a candidate could not contribute more than $5,000 to his or her own campaign. Candidates would also agree to appear in at least two public debates and could not take any contributions directly from a political action committee or similar organization.

"We're incentivizing people to do the right thing," said Luke Peterson, who drafted the ordinance as the director of Utah Students for Clean Elections. "We're saying if you're willing to take smaller contributions and limit your spending, then we will help your campaign."

Peterson's local government watchdog group pitched the proposal to Wilson in hopes of getting a pilot study under way for the county's next election in 2006.

The pilot program would include only county council members up for election next year — Joe Hatch, Jim Bradley and Cort Ashton — but the public funding could eventually spread to all elected officials, Wilson said.