County plunges in on campaign reform
Law lowers donation limit but lets contractors give
The ordinance lowers the donation limit for campaigns from $5,000 to $2,000 per each of three election cycles, but also opens the door for contractors to chip in for county races.
Anyone holding a contract for business with the county was banned from posting money for campaigns under an ethics package by former acting Mayor Alan Dayton in the final days of the Nancy Workman administration last year.
"My sense is that the public has lost a sense of faith in Salt Lake County government. There is a credibility problem," said James Evans, chairman of the county's Republican party. "I believe this is a step backwards."
Evans said members of the Salt Lake County GOP may now back a voter referendum to reinstate the ban on contractor donations.
But county leaders, who approved the ethics reforms in a 8-1 vote, said they pushed the measure through because it was better than doing nothing.
"The entire package is an improvement," Councilman Mark Crockett said. "I think this is a good step forward,"
Crockett along with several other council members still had his qualms about allowing contractors back into the donation pool. Crockett tried to tack on an amendment to the ordinance to limit donations from contractors to $200 per election cycle for groups holding a contract worth more than $10,000.
That attempt failed, however, as did a move by Councilman Randy Horiuchi to push back the effective date until Jan. 1, 2006. The reforms will be put in place in two weeks.
Councilman Joe Hatch advocated for council members to pass the ethics package in its entirety, cautioning his colleagues that nit-picking the proposal could essentially kill any real reform.
"Already the language is a compromise that's already been talked about at length," Hatch said. "Let's not get lost in the minutiae of $2,500 versus $2,000, contractors or no contractors."
But to former County Council member Steve Harmsen, the contractor provision is at the crux of reform. Removing that ban is a step backward, said Harmsen, who worked with Dayton to pass the contractor prohibition.
"It's money flowing from a contractor to a politician for a favor," he said.
E-mail: estewart@desnews.com
Comments
- Attempted murder case refiled 1:58 a.m.
- Sports on the air 1:38 a.m.
- This weekend on TV 1:38 a.m.
- Birthdays for Saturday, July 11 1:38 a.m.
- 2 men cited on LDS plaza 1:37 a.m.
- S.L. man spots stolen car — his 1:23 a.m.
- Girl critical after run-in with train 1:23 a.m.
- Probe of death treated as slaying 1:22 a.m.
- Taylorsville man arrested in robbery 1:21 a.m.
- HBO defends U. logo use in 'Love' 1:20 a.m.
- LDS seminary principal arrested
- Jazz brass debate Millsap match
- Reactions on Boozer speculation
- Teacher faces new sex charges
- Jazz talking Boozer trade?
- 2 men cited on LDS plaza
- Jazz down Oklahoma City
- 2 Tooele police officers fired
- BYU professor to work on Hebrew Bible
- Jazz finances not quite so bleak
- LDS seminary principal arrested
142 - Bronco collecting a galaxy of recruits
141 - Jazz talking Boozer trade?
136 - Blazers may offer Millsap a contract
123 - Stadium of Fire flag burning was fake
94 - Jazz brass debate Millsap match
88 - Fairness of BCS debated
81 - Chaffetz eyes challenging Bennett
74 - Letters: Single-payer system best
72 - Services bids farewell to Jackson
70
As more and more dads are put out of work in this economy, I've been...
The photographs are mysterious, brooding, dark. They show dimples and...
Didn't Obama and Biden just admit to the fact that the stimilus programs were...
The last part of the article about Cowherd is classic!!! I normally like the...
This man was my teacher in high school. He is my friend, he was like a father...
I like millsap, but portland just burried themselves. They made themselves...
It's amazing how quickly society is willing to vaccinate it's children with...
The first income tax was introduced during the Civil War, that's only 70...
If he really did what the evidence seems to show, I don't think he should be...
Utah needs Portland too much. It's much harder than you think to find good...
stacy, have you ever eaten there ??
I had Brother Pratt at Viewmont High School my sophomore year... I was really...


You can be the first to comment on this story.