DISCLOSURES AND FILING PROCEDURES FOR CONTRIBUTION AND EXPENDITURE REPORTS.

Austin City Code tit. 2, ch. 2-2, art. 3

in effect

Austin City Code § 2-2-21 ADDITIONAL INFORMATION REQUIRED ON ALL CAMPAIGN FINANCE REPORTS FILED WITH THE CITY.

§ 2-2-21 - ADDITIONAL INFORMATION REQUIRED ON ALL CAMPAIGN FINANCE REPORTS FILED WITH THE CITY. (A) In addition to the information required under the Texas Election Code, a campaign finance report filed with the city clerk by a candidate, office holder, and political committee involved in a City election shall include the following information: (1) for all individual contributions of $200 or more in a reporting period, disclosure of the occupation of the contributor and the name of the contributor's employer; and (2) in disclosing expenditures, the nature and purpose of any payment over $50 to a consultant or contractor, including a general description of the goods or services provided to the campaign. Source: Ord. 20080925-079; Ord. No. 20160407-006, Pt. 6, 4-18-16; Ord. No. 20240229-008, Pt. 7, 3-11-24.

Austin City Code § 2-2-22 FUNDRAISING AND BUNDLING BY INTERMEDIARIES.

§ 2-2-22 - FUNDRAISING AND BUNDLING BY INTERMEDIARIES. (A) In this section: (1) BUNDLER means a person who bundles campaign contributions. The term does not apply to an individual whose only fundraising activity is a fundraising event held at the individual's residence if the event raises funds in an aggregate amount of less than $5,000. (2) BUNDLING means the soliciting and obtaining, during a voluntary campaign contract period or other campaign period, contributions on behalf of a candidate of $200 or more per person from five or more persons. (B) For each reporting period in which a candidate for whom a bundler has bundled contributions must file a report of contributions and expenditures, the candidate must also file a separate report with the city clerk disclosing: (1) the name and address of each bundler who has bundled for the candidate; (2) the bundler's occupation and the name of the bundler's employer; and (3) the name, address, occupation and employer of each individual contributor whose contribution was bundled by the bundler; (4) the amount contributed by each individual contributor whose contribution was bundled by the bundler; (5) the total amount the bundler has bundled for the candidate during the reporting period; and (6) the name of each person registered or required to register under Chapter 4-8 (Regulation of Lobbyists) employed by, or compensated to lobby, by: (a) the bundler; (b) a business association through which the bundler does business; or (c) the bundler's employer. (C) A candidate who receives bundled contributions shall notify each bundler of the requirements of this section. A bundler shall provide to each candidate, at the time the bundler delivers bundled contributions to the candidate, the information necessary for the candidate to report the information required by this section. The failure of a bundler to provide the information required by this subsection does not excuse any failure by a candidate to report the required information. (D) Except as may be further limited by Subsection (E), a person who is registered, who is required to register, or who is employed by a person who is registered or required to register under Chapter 4-8 (Regulation of Lobbyists) may not bundle contributions totaling more than five times the contribution limit set by Article III, Section 8(A)(1) of the City Charter for any one candidate in a voluntary campaign contract period or other campaign period. (E) This subsection applies only to a business association that is registered or required to register under Chapter 4-8 (Regulation of Lobbyists), that is owned in whole or in part by a person registered or required to register under Chapter 4-8 (Regulation of Lobbyists), that employs a person registered or required to register under Chapter 4-8 (Regulation of Lobbyists), or that compensates another person to lobby on a municipal question of interest to the business association. Partners, shareholders, principals, employees, and persons who conduct business through the same business association, are considered to be a single bundler for the purpose of this subsection. The total amount bundled by all the partners, shareholders, principals, employees, and persons who conduct business through the same business association when added together may not exceed ten times the contribution limit set by Article III, Section 8(A)(1) of the City Charter for the entire business association for any one candidate in a voluntary campaign contract period or other campaign period. Source: Ord. 20080925-079; Ord. 20100819-034; Ord. 20120426-088; Ord. No. 20240229-008, Pt. 8, 3-11-24.

Austin City Code § 2-2-23 POLITICAL COMMITTEES.

§ 2-2-23 - POLITICAL COMMITTEES. (A) A specific purpose committee that makes contributions or expenditures in connection with a City election must file a campaign finance report with the city clerk as prescribed by the Texas Election Code and this chapter. In addition to the required report, a specific purpose committee must file each campaign finance report's data as provided in Section 2-2-26 (Filing of Campaign Finance Report Data). (B) A general purpose committee that makes contributions or expenditures in connection with a City election must file with the city clerk a copy of each campaign finance report filed with the Texas Ethics Commission. This requirement shall apply to all reporting periods in which the general purpose committee makes 50 percent or more of its expenditures in connection with a City election, or makes an expenditure of $2,500 or more in connection with a City election. The filing date for filing with the city clerk is the date established under the Texas Election Code for filing with the Texas Ethics Commission. In addition to a copy of each campaign finance report filed with the Texas Ethics Commission, a general purpose committee must file the campaign finance report's data as provided in Section 2-2-26 (Filing of Campaign Finance Data). (C) A general purpose political committee that makes more than 50 percent of its expenditures in a reporting period in connection with a City election, or makes an expenditure of $2,500 or more in connection with a City election, or intends to do so, shall file with the city clerk as a notice of intent an original or a copy of its current "Appointment of a Campaign Treasurer" not later than the 60th day before making a contribution or expenditure in connection with a City election. At the written request of the general purpose political committee, the original filing with the city clerk of the "Appointment of a Campaign Treasurer" may serve as a notice of intent to participate in future City elections. Source: Ord. 20080925-079; Ord. No. 20160407-006, Pt. 7, 4-18-16.

Austin City Code § 2-2-24 RETURNED CONTRIBUTIONS.

§ 2-2-24 - RETURNED CONTRIBUTIONS. A candidate, officeholder, or candidate's campaign committee returning a contribution shall comply with the following requirements: (A) after a contribution has been deposited in a financial institution account, a partial or full refund must be paid by cashier's check; (B) copies of returned checks, refund checks, and any related correspondence must be retained by the campaign treasurer in accordance with Section 2-2-28 (Retention of Records); and (C) any contribution received and accepted, but refunded to the contributor, must be disclosed as both a contribution and an expenditure on the applicable contribution and expenditure report. Source: Ord. 20080925-079.

Austin City Code § 2-2-26 FILING OF CAMPAIGN FINANCE REPORT DATA.

§ 2-2-26 - FILING OF CAMPAIGN FINANCE REPORT DATA. (A) The city manager, in consultation with the city clerk, shall maintain for the use of the city clerk a Web site that allows public access to a searchable and downloadable database capable of executing queries. (B) The city clerk shall post a campaign finance report to the City's Web site on the first business day after the date that the city clerk receives the report. (C) This ordinance is cumulative of, and does not supersede, another requirement of law regarding the deadline, filing, form, signing, or acknowledgement of a campaign finance report. A person who must file a report under this chapter shall file the report with the city clerk. Source: Ord. 20080925-079; Ord. 20090521-017; Ord. 20120426-087; Ord. No. 20120927-091, Pt. 1, 10-8-12; Ord. No. 20150806-004, Pt. 3, 8-17-15/2-1-16; Ord. No. 20160407-006, Pt. 9, 4-18-16; Ord. No. 20240229-008, Pt. 9, 3-11-24.

Austin City Code § 2-2-27 RESERVED.

Austin City Code § 2-2-28 RETENTION OF RECORDS.

§ 2-2-28 - RETENTION OF RECORDS. A candidate or officeholder subject to this chapter must: (A) maintain copies of checks, bank statements, and deposit slips for a period of five years after the close of the reporting period to which the records are applicable; (B) make them available to the Ethics Review Commission, on request, within the five year retention period. Source: Ord. 20080925-079.

Austin City Code § 2-2-29 PRE-ELECTION REPORTS.

§ 2-2-29 - PRE-ELECTION REPORTS. (A) This section applies to: (1) a candidate who accepts contributions that total more than $10,000 during the period beginning the 9th day before the date of an election and ending at 5 p.m. on the day before the date of an election; (2) a candidate who loans personal funds to the candidate's campaign totaling $10,000 during the period beginning the 9th day before the date of an election and ending at 5 p.m. on the day before the date of an election; (3) a candidate who makes expenditures from personal funds in support of the candidate's campaign totaling $10,000 during the period beginning the 9th day before the date of an election and ending at 5 p.m. on the day before the date of an election; (4) a political committee that accepts contributions that total more than $2,500 during the period beginning the 9th day before the date of an election and ending at 5 p.m. on the day before the date of an election; and (5) a political committee that makes expenditures that total more than $1,000 during the period beginning the 9th day before the date of an election and ending at 5 p.m. on the day before the date of an election. (B) A candidate or political committee described in Subsection (A) shall file a pre-election report with the city clerk no later than 5 p.m. on the first business day after each date that one or more of the reporting thresholds prescribed by Subsection (A) are met. The filing of one pre-election report does not excuse the filing of a subsequent report each time the reporting thresholds prescribed by Subsection (A) are met. (C) A candidate described in Subsection (A) shall file a pre-election report with the city clerk that includes the following information: (1) the name of the candidate; (2) an itemization of contributions, including: (a) the name and address of each contributor making a contribution of more than $50; (b) the amount of each contribution; (c) the date each contribution was accepted; (d) a description of any in-kind contribution; and (e) for each contribution of $200 or more, the occupation of the contributor and the name of the contributor's employer. (3) an itemization of loans from personal funds, including: (a) the amount of each loan; and (b) the date each loan. (4) an itemization of expenditures from personal funds, including: (a) the full name and address of the payee to whom each expenditure was made; (b) the date and amount of each expenditure; and (c) the purpose and description of each expenditure. (D) A political committee described in Subsection (A) shall file a pre-election report with the city clerk that includes the following information: (1) the name of the political committee; (2) an itemization of contributions, including: (a) the name and address of each contributor making a contribution of more than $50; (b) the amount of each contribution; (c) the date each contribution was accepted; (d) a description of any in-kind contribution; and (e) for each contribution of $200 or more, the occupation of the contributor and the name of the contributor's employer. (3) an itemization of expenditures, including: (a) the amount of each expenditure over $50; (b) the full name and address of the payee to whom each expenditure was made; (c) the date of each expenditure; and (d) the purpose and description of each expenditure. (E) In addition to the pre-election report, a candidate or political committee described in Subsection (A) must file the pre-election report's data as required in Section 2-2-26 (Filing of Campaign Finance Report Data). (F) The city clerk shall post each pre-election report on the City's Web site no later than 5 p.m. on the first business day after the date that the city clerk receives the report. (G) All information reported on a pre-election report must also be reported on the candidate's or political committee's subsequent campaign finance report. Source: Ord. No. 20120524-078; Ord. No. 20160407-006, Pt. 11, 4-18-16; Ord. No. 20240229-008, Pt. 10, 3-11-24.

Source: City of Austin, City Code and City Charter (Municode Library, library.municode.com)URL: https://library.municode.com/tx/austin/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=TIT2AD_CH2-2CAFI_ART3DIFIPRCOEXREFetched: 10/27/2026