The Aurora City Council has approved a new, comprehensive ethics Ordinance that creates a $1,500 cap on campaign donations from businesses or entities that are doing business with the City.
The Ordinance builds off Aurora’s 2019 Ordinance, enhancing ethics safeguards around local elected officials. Key reforms from the Ordinance include more thorough disclosures of economic interests and campaign finances, campaign contribution limits and regulation, and the regulation of lobbyist donations to City officers, candidates, or committees.
Under Section 2-185, more broad disclosures of economic interests will be required. Outside employment, political committee affiliation, real estate assets, entity ownership, City-funded organization membership, and gifts over $150 will need to be disclosed under the new proposal. The annual electronic filing of these disclosures would need to be completed by June 1, with penalties for late, incomplete, or false reporting.
Sections 15-320 to 15-322 pertain to campaign contributions, spearheaded by the $1,500 cap from entities doing business, or seeking to do City business, and from lobbyists, clients, and vendors. If entities do not comply, penalties could result in the disqualification of doing business with the City of Aurora for a four-year period.
“Aurora residents deserve a transparent and accountable government that works for everyone,” mayor John Laesch said. “This Ordinance is delivering on a long-fought ethics battle to reduce the influence of corporate money in the City contracting and procurement process. As someone who takes zero dollars from corporations that do business with the City of Aurora, I still believe that more work needs to be done. The Ordinance’s original draft was watered down significantly during the floor discussion by still allowing “shadow PACs” to take donations from city contractors and use that money to influence Aurora’s municipal elections. We can do better, and I will keep pushing for more change.”
— City of Aurora government