In a move to adjust their Public Campaign Finance Law, the Montgomery County Council has passed new legislation intended to both empower voters and enable broader access to political candidacy. This development comes as an evolution of the Public Election Fund, established in September 2014, which supports County Executive and County Council candidates with public campaign financing. A primary aim of the initiative, according to council members, is to reduce the influence of substantial contributions from businesses and political action groups, thereby reshaping the political landscape to be more equitable for individuals.
According to
Montgomery County
, Councilmember Evan Glass expressed that the newly passed Bill 20-24 is designed to help quickly dismantle barriers that favor big money in politics. “Our democracy is at a crossroads. Given the recent national election, we need to return power to the voters and away from special interests. We must get big money out of politics,” Glass stated. Council Vice President Kate Stewart, and Councilmembers Natali Fani-González, Gabe Albornoz, Kristin Mink, Marilyn Balcombe, and Laurie-Anne Sayles also backed the reform, with Stewart noting it aims to “ensure we have a range of people able to run for public office and keep the focus on residents and their needs.”
As reported by the
Montgomery County Council’s official press release
, the revisions under Bill 20-24 include an increase in the maximum funds retainable by a certified candidate for post-election expenses from $5,000 to $10,000 – a sum set to inflate every four years. The updated legislation also hikes the individual donor contribution limit from $250 to $500 and enhances the matching ratios from the Public Election Fund. Specifically, candidates for County Executive will now benefit from a 7:1 matching ratio for the first $50 of a contribution, and those for County Council will enjoy a 5:1 match, scaling up their financial footing in elections without dependence on major donations.
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