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<br />City Council Regular Meeting - 11/22/04 <br />Minutes - Page 11 <br /> <br />6. <br /> <br />Campaign Finance Disclosure Ordinance <br />Mayor Klausing requested that Councilmember Ihlan clarify her <br />intent related to the previous materials presented and draft <br />ordinance versions prepared by her and the City Attorney's <br />office respectively. <br /> <br />Councilmember Ihlan noted that she was proposing use of the <br />City Attorney's version, with several modifications. <br /> <br />Councilmember Ihlan introduced Professor David Schultz, from <br />Hamline University's graduate school of public management, an <br />expert on election law and public ethics. <br /> <br />Mayor Klausing welcomed Professor Schultz and recognized the <br />professor's previous service as the Chair of the City of <br />Roseville's Ethics Task Force. <br /> <br />Professor David Schultz <br />Professor Schultz briefly reviewed the constitutional grounds for <br />the City's enactment of an ordinance addressing public <br />disclosure of campaign contributions in City elections, noting <br />case law related to public policy for disclosure. Professor <br />Schultz noted that basic values were addressed through such <br />legislation, the electorate was provided information on where <br />money was coming from, it deterred any actual appearance of <br />corruption, and provides a record-keeping for potential abuses. <br /> <br />Professor Schultz explored the broad spectrum, from doing <br />nothing to regulating campaign financing, and cited the proposed <br />Roseville ordinance as a good first step in public policy, and was <br />consistent with the notion that campaigns were public events and <br />that government should be transparent and open. <br /> <br />Professor Schultz referenced recent case law (Buckley v. V aleo) <br />and its context to clarify where the money was coming from and <br />from whom, alleviate concerns and deter large contributions and <br />encourage smaller individual contributions, and clarify what <br />special interests or agendas might be evident. Professor Schultz <br />noted that the City would need to determine the level of <br />disclosure that was appropriate, and that the ordinance could <br />reveal that no problems existed in Roseville, or could prove that <br /> <br />Campaign Finance <br />Disclosure <br />Ordinance <br />