The Aurora City Clerk’s Office increased campaign finance contribution limits August 1 following a city code mandate.

A person, political committee, or non-municipal political organization may not make aggregate contributions to a candidate committee or recall defense committee more than $450 to any one candidate in any one ward race or more than $1,150 to any one candidate in any at-large or mayoral race.

A small donor committee is limited to aggregate contributions to a candidate committee or recall defense committee of $4,500 to any one candidate in any one ward race or $11,500 to any one candidate in any at-large or mayoral race.

The adjustments are based on an amount calculated by the Colorado Secretary of State as prescribed in the Colorado Constitution.

The City Council in Aurora, Colorado passed an ordinance to create lobbyist registration and reporting requirements in the city.

Ordinance 2021-08 requires lobbyists to register their clients and income with the City Clerk and submit quarterly, detailed activity reports by January 15, April 15, July 15 October 15 of each year.

City council members, city staff, commission members, and zoning officials will also have to disclose activities with lobbyists.

Lobbyists who do not comply with the regulations could lose the ability to influence city officials on matters from development to zoning rules, permits, and city contracts, face possible expulsion and up to $2,500 fines per charge.

The ordinance passed on March 22 with one nay vote.

Ordinance 21-08 will become effective on August 1, 2021. This effective date was suggested to allow time for the implementation of a platform the city will use for reporting and developing training materials.

Aurora City Council member Angela Lawson is sponsoring an ordinance to create lobbyist registration and reporting requirements.

Lawson’s sweeping proposals would require lobbyists to register their clients and income with the city and submit quarterly, detailed reports on their activities and financial motivations.

Lobbyists who do not comply with the regulations could lose the ability to influence city officials on matters from development to zoning rules, permits and city contracts, face possible expulsion and up to $2,500 fines per charge.

The rules would apply not only to lobbyists and the City Council but also to the city manager, staff, board and commission members, and presiding judges, among others. The city clerk would be responsible for deciding if rules have been violated and handing down judgments.

City Council members will review the proposal during their next regular meeting on March 8.

The City Council unanimously passed Ordinance 2019-26, instituting several major changes to city ethics law.

The ordinance establishes an ethics board, to be staffed by an independent panel of retired judges, to investigate potential violations and conflicts of interests.

Additionally, the ordinance bars gifts to city councilmembers valued over $300

Local lawmakers are considering an ordinance requiring lobbyists working in Aurora to register and report expenditures in excess of $75.

At-large councilwoman Angela Lawson, who is also the Lobbyist Registration Program Manager for the secretary of state, first introduced the proposal to a city policy committee in October 2018.

If passed, lobbyists would be required to begin registering at the beginning of 2020.

City Council discussed the proposal during the council’s special study session on July 22.

The ordinance has not yet been brought forward for official action.

The date to move forward to a regular council meeting has not been set.

Nevada Secretary of State Ross Miller has announced the launch of a new searchable online database for the state’s campaign finance data. Named Aurora, the system began at midnight last night.

For more information read “Nevada Secretary Of State Launches Aurora, A Searchable Database For Campaign Finance Information” from the Nevada News Bureau.

According to the news release on the the Secretary of State’s web site:

The Contribution Search and Expenditure Search functions will allow users to search results by the following criteria:
– Individual Candidates
– Political Races
– Groups
– Contributions, including by amount, date range and similar addresses
– Contributors
– Expenditure Recipients