Aurora Mayor John Laesch’s proposed campaign ethics reforms, which have been held for weeks, are now moving towards final approval with significant changes.
Under the current proposal, Aurora would cap at $1,500 per year donations made to candidates running for city office from those doing business with the city. It would also expand economic interest disclosures required of candidates and elected officials.
Recent changes to the proposal upped the donation limit from the originally-proposed $500 cap, removed further limits on cash donations and removed guidelines on how city property could be used for political purposes.
The donation limit was increased to be more in line with other cities, including Chicago, according to Aurora Chief of Staff Shannon Cameron. The guidelines for city property use were taken out to simplify things, since discussions around them got stuck in details that weren’t the “true meaning” of the ethics reforms, she said at the Aurora City Council’s Rules, Administration and Procedure Committee meeting earlier this month.
According to Laesch, the campaign ethics reform package was designed to increase transparency and “reduce the influence that outside money has on city contracts.”
But some aldermen have questioned if the new rules really would achieve that goal, particularly since there would be no limit on contributions from political figures or organizations, and others have voiced concerns about the potential increase in paperwork they said might come from the expanded disclosure requirements.
The proposed changes to city code were held at the Rules, Administration and Procedure Committee starting in October, but on Dec. 2 the committee again took the measure up for discussion and recommended it for approval. The proposal could go before the Aurora City Council for a final vote as early as Tuesday, potentially at a meeting that was rescheduled from Dec. 23.
If approved by the Aurora City Council, the city would limit contributions to candidates or elected officials from those doing business or looking to do business with the city to $1,500 per year. Counting towards the cap would be donations made by the business itself as well as any made by parent companies or subsidiaries, and in some cases donations made by employees themselves.
Those who do not follow these proposed rules could be barred from doing business with the city for up to four years.
Campaign ethics reform was a campaign promise for Laesch, who won the mayoral seat over former Mayor Richard Irvin in April. During the most recent campaign and in a previous unsuccessful run for mayor, Laesch claimed Irvin prioritized government contracts or incentives to those who donated to his campaign, which Irvin consistently denied.
Laesch has said he does not believe state law around campaign financing is strict enough. There aren’t restrictions for those doing business with the city, “which is where the appearance of ‘pay-to-play’ exists,” he previously said.
Also under Laesch’s proposed code changes, those in city office and those running for a city elected office would need to provide more information than what is typically required in economic interest filings.
That includes not only their occupation but also if their employer has ever done work for or received any financial assistance from the city of Aurora, all real estate they own within the city or nearby, any organizations or businesses they own, any city-funded or affiliated organizations they are involved with and any gifts they’ve received from those doing business with the city or looking to.
The filings would only need to be turned in once per year, rather than each quarter, and would continue to be available for the public to view online.
The proposal considers as a candidate anyone who has begun circulating petitions or has started receiving donations, according to Chief of Staff Cameron. Candidates then have 15 days to submit their disclosure statements to the city, she said on Dec. 2.
rsmith@chicagotribune.com
