Wichita City Council members have voted to delay action relating to campaign contributions for city elections.
The previous Council had voted January 2nd to ban contributions from corporations or limited liability companies (LLCs), either domestic or foreign. The new Council voted the following week to bring the ordinance back in order to reverse the ban.
During public comments on the ordinance, Toni Porter with the Wichita Regional Chamber of Commerce said all persons and businesses should be allowed to participate in the electoral process, and state law allows people to contribute up to $500 to candidates. She said there are already contribution limits and transparent reporting requirements that regulate the process.
Council member J.V. Johnston said having the ban would just drive campaign money underground, going into political action committees, and he would rather know who is donating. Council member Dalton Glasscock said repealing the ban will allow for more accountability for the candidates and more transparency in who is contributing to the candidates. Council member Becky Tuttle said businesses pay sales tax and they pay property taxes and they should have a voice in the way the community moves forward.
Glasscock moved to add a sentence to the city ordinance that would require campaign reports to include the name of the managing member or officer responsible for making the donation from an LLC and to list the officers and directors of a corporation making the contribution. That motion was approved unanimously by the Council.
Council member Mike Hoheisel said he doesn’t have a problem with individual businesses donating to a campaign, but he sees an issue with multiple LLCs controlled by the same individual or group, leading to donations of $10,000 or more to a campaign.
The council voted 5-2 to defer action until March 5th, allowing time for the ordinance to be discussed by the city’s District Advisory Boards. Council members Dalton Glasscock and J.V. Johnston voted against the deferral.
