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<baltimore-city-law heading="§ 15 Special fund for fair elections.">
  <section prefix="§" num="15" heading="Special fund for fair elections.">
    <para num="(a)" heading="Authorization.">
      <para num="(1)">By Ordinance, the Mayor and City Council of Baltimore may establish a continuing, nonlapsing fund for purposes of encouraging fair elections by administering a public financing option for political campaigns for Baltimore City elected offices.</para>
      <para num="(2)">These purposes include:<para num="(i)">providing direct funding to candidates for public office who meet certain qualifications;</para>
        <para num="(ii)">providing technical assistance and training to individuals seeking to make use of public campaign funding;</para>
        <para num="(iii)">publicizing the availability of public campaign funding; and</para>
        <para num="(iv)">administering a public campaign funding program.</para>
      </para>
    </para>
    <para num="(b)" heading="Baltimore City Fair Election Fund Commission.">
      <para num="(1)">The fund is administered by the Baltimore City Fair Election Fund Commission, and no funds may be dispersed from the fund without authorization by that Commission.</para>
      <para num="(2)">The  Baltimore City Fair Election Fund Commission consists of 11 members, including:<para num="(i)">2 members appointed by the Mayor;</para>
        <para num="(ii)">3 members representing organizations focused on government reform, appointed by the Mayor;</para>
        <para num="(iii)">1 member representing an organization advocating for the interests of City business owners, appointed by the Mayor; and</para>
        <para num="(iv)">5 members appointed by the President of the City Council.</para>
      </para>
      <para num="(3)">Each member of the Commission must:<para num="(i)">be a resident of the City of Baltimore;</para>
        <para num="(ii)">not be a candidate for public office;</para>
        <para num="(iii)">not be a lobbyist required to register with the City;</para>
        <para num="(iv)">not be the chair or treasurer for an open campaign account;</para>
        <para num="(v)">be a registered voter; and</para>
        <para num="(vi)">be confirmed by the City Council.</para>
      </para>
      <para num="(4)">The term of a member of the Commission is:<para num="(i)">for the members of the initial Commission appointed by the President of the City Council, 6 years beginning on May 1, 2019;</para>
        <para num="(ii)">for all other members of the initial Commission, 4 years beginning on May 1, 2019; and</para>
        <para num="(iii)">for all members appointed to a full term after May 1, 2019, 4 years from the expiration of their predecessor’s appointment.</para>
      </para>
      <para num="(5)">A vacancy arising during a term shall be filled in the same manner as the original appointment and shall be filled for the remainder of the  predecessor’s term.</para>
      <para num="(6)">The Commission shall elect a Chairperson and a Vice Chairperson from its members.</para>
      <para num="(7)">A Commission member shall not receive compensation for service on the Commission, but may be reimbursed for reasonable and necessary expenses as provided in the Ordinance of Estimates.</para>
    </para>
    <para num="(c)" heading="Revenue sources.">The fund established under &lt;cite data-path="I|§15"&gt;this section&lt;/cite&gt; may consist of:<para num="(1)">money appropriated to the fund in the annual Ordinances of Estimates;</para>
      <para num="(2)">grants or donations made to the fund; and</para>
      <para num="(3)">proceeds from fines, fees, surcharges, or other revenues dedicated to the fund by Ordinance.</para>
    </para>
    <para num="(d)" heading="Continuing nature of fund.">Notwithstanding any other provision of this Charter, unspent portions of the fund established under &lt;cite data-path="I|§15"&gt;this section&lt;/cite&gt;:<para num="(1)">remain in the fund, to be used exclusively for their ordained purposes;</para>
      <para num="(2)">do not revert to the general revenues of the City; and</para>
      <para num="(3)">their appropriations do not lapse.</para>
    </para>
    <para num="(e)" heading="Implementation.">By Ordinance, the Mayor and City Council shall provide for the oversight, governance, and administration of the Fair Election Fund, including:<para num="(1)">qualifications of candidates eligible for funding from the Fund;</para>
      <para num="(2)">methods and criteria for allocating available funds among eligible programs or candidates; and</para>
      <para num="(3)">the establishment of any other legislative or administrative rules, regulations, or standards, consistent with &lt;cite data-path="I|§15"&gt;this section&lt;/cite&gt;, governing the Fund, its operations, and programs, services, and candidates funded by it.</para>
    </para>
    <annotation type="History">Res. 18-009, ratified Nov. 6, 2018</annotation>
    <annotation type="Editor's Notes">For statutory requirements governing the proposal, adoption, and publication of administrative rules and regulations, see General Provisions Article, Title 4 {“Administrative Procedure Act – Regulations”}.</annotation>
  </section>
</baltimore-city-law>
