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Amending Chapter 20-1000 of The Philadelphia Code, entitled “Campaign Contributions and Expenditures,” by requiring candidates for elective City office, treasurers of political committees and other persons to file certain campaign finance reports with the Board of Ethics, by requiring the Board of Ethics to arrange for the publication of such information on the City’s official website in a searchable format, and by making conforming changes to existing provisions of Chapter 20-1000, all under certain terms and conditions.
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THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA HEREBY ORDAINS:
SECTION 1. Chapter 20-1000 of The Philadelphia Code is hereby amended to read as follows:
CHAPTER 20-1000. CAMPAIGN CONTRIBUTIONS AND EXPENDITURES.
§20-1001. Definitions.
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(7) Board of Ethics. The Board of Ethics created under Section 3-100(e) of the Philadelphia Home Rule Charter.
(8) City Commissioners. The City Commissioners acting in their capacity as the County Board of Elections.
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§20-1004. Campaign Expenditure Limitations.
(1) Campaign Contract.
(a) Effective for the elections for Mayor and City Council in the year 2007 and thereafter, a candidate seeking election to any of said offices may sign a contract with the Election Reform Board to abide by limitations on campaign expenditures [and agreeing to report his/her contributions and expenditures to the Election Reform Board to be publicly posted on a website developed by the Election Reform Board].
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§20-1006. Campaign Finance Disclosure.
(1) Whenever a candidate, treasurer of a political committee or other person files a required report of receipts and expenditures with the City Commissioners pursuant to Article XVI of the Pennsylvania Election Code (25 P.S. §3241 et seq.), or files such report with the Secretary of the Commonwealth because such report is filed by a political committee and concerns both candidates who file for nomination with the Secretary of the Commonwealth and candidates who file with the City Commissioners, such candidate, treasurer or other person shall at the same time file with the Board of Ethics a copy of all information set forth in such report, in an electronic format mandated by the Board of Ethics. Such filing shall be accompanied by a written statement, signed by the person making the filing, that subscribes and swears to the information set forth in such filing. Upon receipt of such filing, the Board of Ethics shall issue a written receipt to the person making the filing.
(2) The Board of Ethics shall arrange for the publication of all information it receives under this Section on the City’s official website as soon as practicable after the Board receives such information, but no later than five business days after receipt, in a format that will permit the public to easily search such information by candidate, by political committee, by contributor, and by any other means determined by the Board of regulation.
(3) In carrying out its duties under this Section, the Board of Ethics shall work with the City Commissioners to devise efficient means of advising candidates, treasurers, political committees and other persons of the requirements of this Section, and to devise means of coordinating the activities of the Board of Ethics under this Section with the duties of the City Commissioners to receive, file and promptly make available for public inspection all required reports filed by candidates, treasurers, political committees and other persons.
(4) The failure to file information as required by this Section, or the making of material misstatements or omissions in any filing required by this Section, shall be deemed to be a violation of Chapter 20-600 (Standards of Conduct and Ethics) and subject to enforcement and the imposition of penalties under that Chapter.
SECTION 2. This Ordinance shall take effect immediately, Until the certification of the approval by the electors of the amendment to the Philadelphia Home Rule Charter providing for the creation and appointment of a Board of Ethics, the duties this Ordinance assigns to the Board of Ethics shall be carried out by the Department of Records, and all filings required to be made with the Board of Ethics shall be made with the Department of Records.
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Explanation:
[Brackets] indicate matter deleted.
Italics indicate new matter added.
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