Should Campaign Finance Limits Apply To Cuyahoga County Elected Offices?

At its meeting Tuesday, Cuyahoga County Council will begin discussion on a charter amendment that would give council the authority to enact campaign finance regulations. 

The proposed amendment doesn't include any limits on donations. It only allows for regulations. It was one of the recommendations of the county charter review commission earlier this month.

The amendment’s author William Tarter Jr said the commission considered adding campaign finance limits as part of the county charter, but they decided that detail was better left to council.

“For many, they view the county charter as our constitution of sorts in that you have issues in there related to the framework of government,” said Tarter.

Cuyahoga County has no limits on donations to candidates for council, county executive or county prosecutor.

Tarter says this would be a first step to meaningful campaign finance regulation.

“Let’s put some language into the charter that would underscore the importance of campaign finance as a topic at the county level,” Tarter said, “as well as ensure that it is in alignment with the other levels of government that do have campaign finance language.”

The city of Cleveland, state of Ohio, Ohio judges and federal candidates are all subject to campaign finance limits.

The commission recommended a similar change five years ago, but the county council rejected it then.