Campaign Finance
Building off of the Public Campaign Finance offer in the Department of Community Services, this budget note requests that the Chair direct the Department of County Management to plan the implementation of a County Public Campaign Finance Small Donor Program. This note suggests that the Chair have County Staff complete the following steps prior to briefing the Board of Commissioners, no later than February 28th, 2025:
- Hiring of a Project Manager;
- Establishment of a Public Financing Implementation Advisory Committee no later than October 15th, 2024, with an initial first meeting to take place by November 15th, 2024. Each board member as well as the Chair, will have the opportunity to select 2 people from their district who applied for this limited duration volunteer Implementation Committee. The members of the Committee will be tasked with ultimately creating, advising, informing and issuing recommendations to the Board on how best to implement public financing in our Multnomah County elections. That work will include:
- Examining potential governance structures for a permanent independent oversight body, including recommendations on how best to partner with the City of Portland’s Small Donor Elections;
- Looking at financing options to fully fund a small donor program, and development of administrative rules and forms;
- Scoping relevant technology, staffing, and other materials and supplies needed to effectively operate a small donor program;
- A schedule for reporting to the Board; and
- A plan for transitioning of the Implementation Committee to an Oversight Committee.
- Prepare a report for the Board of County Commissioners by February 28th, 2025. It will include an overview of similar work in other jurisdictions, the legal frameworks that were used, and key milestones for implementing recommendations described above. This will be followed by a vote of the Board requesting the adoption of those recommendations as County policy;
- Milestones should include plans for collaboration with community partners, such as the City of Portland’s Office of Small Donor Elections, all towards an anticipated program launch by December 1st, 2025;
- Creation of a sub fund of the General Fund dedicated to this program; and
- Briefings to update Commissioners on the progress of the work at their request.