Re: “Mayor: Who Needs Campaign Finance Reform?”
Mayor Mehaul O’Leary, who will be termed out next April, said that “it would be unfair to change the (campaign finance) rules now” for the coming City Council election campaign that officially opens in December.
“It is too late,” he said to make new rules about donations. “This campaign already has started.”
Mr. O’Leary took his stance even though the old limitation would be doubled and the present rules are said to be in violation of state law.
Under a doubleheader proposal, currently in a state of suspension, the reformed regulations would:
- Multiply the ceiling on cash donations from $500 to $1,000 and
- For the first time, place a $1,000 cap on previously uncapped in-kind donations to align with state law.
Violation notwithstanding, the reform proposal resides in limbo and may not leave in the near term, because the Council is fractured on this seemingly easy-call topic. Councilperson Meghan Sahli-Wells, who will run for re-election next year, recused herself from the recent discussion for that reason even though she was not required to step aside.
This means Vice Mayor Andy Weissman and Councilman Jim Clarke must recruit either Mr. O’Leary or like-thinking Jeff Cooper to prevail with a majority third vote.
The mayor says the Council should vote in campaign finance reform sometime this autumn but “put it on a pedestal” until the 2017 election cycle.
Separately for Mr. O’Leary, the jackpot question for him, politically, is: What are his plans after he leaves office in April?
“I don’t know if the time is right to start speculating,” he said, hoping to quash speculation.
