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Brief Overview: Seattle’s Form of Government

Public Financing in Seattle Wayne Barnett, Executive Director Seattle Ethics and Elections Commission. Brief Overview: Seattle’s Form of Government. Eleven elected officials Mayor Nine at-large City councilmembers City Attorney Four-year terms All full-time positions

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Brief Overview: Seattle’s Form of Government

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  1. Public Financing in SeattleWayne Barnett, Executive DirectorSeattle Ethics and Elections Commission

  2. Brief Overview: Seattle’s Form of Government • Eleven elected officials • Mayor • Nine at-large City councilmembers • City Attorney • Four-year terms • All full-time positions • Population: Approximately 585,000 • Registered Voters: Approximately 387,000

  3. Act I: Seattle’s Early Experiment with Public Financing – 1979 to 1991 • Expenditure Limits • Match of up to $50 for contribution from individual City resident • Upheld by the State Supreme Court as permissible use of public funds • Popular with candidates – Nine of ten general election candidates in 1991 participated in the program • Program cost $330,000 in 1989 and $250,000 in 1991 ($565,000 and $390,000 adjusted for inflation)

  4. Act II: The long winter – 1992 to 2008 • In 1992, State voters enacted Initiative 134, which among other things barred public financing. “Public funds, whether derived through taxes, fees, penalties, or any other sources, shall not be used to finance political campaigns for state or local office.” • City unsuccessfully fought for right to reinstate program for sixteen years.

  5. 2003 City Council Fundraising • Heidi Wills 258,118 • Margaret Pageler 223,766 • Tom Rasmussen209,168 • Judy Nicastro 170,456 • Jean Godden153,762 • David Della156,985 • Peter Steinbrueck133,756 • Jim Compton111,903 • John Manning 18,401 • Zander Batchelder 1,337

  6. 2005 City Council Fundraising • Richard Conlin269,939 • Jan Drago253,577 • Paige Miller 236,817 • Dwight Pelz 232,563 • Casey Corr 231,993 • Richard McIver214,627 • Nick Licata103,001 • Paul Bascomb 7,468

  7. 2007 City Council Fundraising • Tim Burgess353,397 • Bruce Harrell290,077 • David Della 261,226 • Venus Velazquez 244,864 • Jean Godden227,560 • Tom Rasmussen201,795 • Councilmember Rasmussen ran unopposed. • Sally Clark176,745 • Joe Szwaja 96,025 • Judy Fenton 6,199

  8. Act III: New Life for Public Financing • 2008 – State legislature repeals bar on local public financing, but • Requires public vote before adoption of program.

  9. New Life for Public Financing • 2008 – Council and Mayor create nine-member advisory committee to examine issue • Short time-frame – possibility of going to the ballot in 2008 • Six members recommend Arizona or Maine-like program, with “super match” as a fallback option.

  10. What’s the hold-up? • Median housing price down 20 percent from peak and still falling • Seattle metropolitan area unemployment rate at 8.8 percent and climbing. Up from 4.1 percent in February 2008 • Budget shortfall of more than $40M projected for both 2009 and 2010; $80M hole to plug • Furloughs, layoffs, cuts in services

  11. Voter-Owned Election Design – City Council and City Attorney • To qualify, candidate must secure 1,000 signatures and $10,000 in donations of $10 increments. • City provides $140,000 for primary election. • Qualifying candidate may access $30,000 of these funds prior to having an opponent. • City provides $100,000 in public funds for the general election. • Candidate must agree to spend no more than $250,000. • Matching funds available when privately or self-financed candidate exceeds the expenditure cap, or when a group makes independent expenditures.

  12. Voter-Owned Election Design – Mayoral races • To qualify, candidate must secure 1,500 signatures and $15,000 in donations of $10 increments. • City provides $435,000 for primary election. • Qualifying candidate may access $105,000 of these funds prior to having an opponent. • City provides $300,000 in public funds for the general election. • Candidate must agree to spend no more than $750,000. • Matching funds when privately or self-financed candidate exceeds the expenditure cap, or when group makes independent expenditures.

  13. Voter-Owned Election Cost Estimates

  14. Supermatch – City Council and City Attorney races

  15. Supermatch – Mayoral Races

  16. Supermatch Cost Estimates

  17. Next steps • 2009 – Public outreach. • Early 2010 – City Council decides threshold question: What kind of program do we want? • Spring 2010 – Design program. • Fall 2010 – Put measure to the voters.

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