Sec. 16-23. Distribution of public contribution.
Montgomery County, Md., Code § 16-23 (2026)
Sec. 16-23. Distribution of public contribution.LinkCopy Citation
(a)
Matching amounts. The Director must distribute a public contribution from the Fund to each certified candidate in a contested election only during the distribution period as follows:
(1)
for a certified candidate for County Executive, the matching dollars must equal:
(A)
$7 for each dollar of a qualifying contribution received for the first $50 of each qualifying contribution;
(B)
$4 for each dollar of a qualifying contribution received for the second $50 of each qualifying contribution;
(C)
$2 for each dollar of a qualifying contribution received for the third $50 of each qualifying contribution; and
(D)
$0 for each dollar of a qualifying contribution received for the remainder of each qualifying contribution; and
(2)
for a certified candidate for County Council, the matching dollars must equal:
(A)
$5 for each dollar of a qualifying contribution received for the first $50 of each qualifying contribution;
(B)
$3 for each dollar of a qualifying contribution received for the second $50 of each qualifying contribution;
(C)
$2 for each dollar of a qualifying contribution received for the third $50 of each qualifying contribution; and
(D)
$0 for each dollar of a qualifying contribution received for the remainder of each qualifying contribution.
(3)
The total public contribution payable to a certified candidate for either a primary or a general election must not exceed:
(A)
$870,170 for a candidate for County Executive;
(B)
$290,060 for a candidate for At Large Councilmember; and
(C)
$145,030 for a candidate for District Councilmember.
(b)
Non-matchable contributions. The Director must not distribute matching dollars from the Fund to a certified candidate for:
(1)
a contribution from the candidate or the candidate’s spouse; or
(2)
an in-kind contribution of property, goods, or services.
(c)
Qualifying contribution limits. A certified candidate may continue to collect qualifying contributions and submit a request for a matching public contribution up to, and including, the day of a primary or a general election. A qualifying contribution must not exceed $500 from any individual in the aggregate during a 4-year election cycle.
(d)
Availability of funds for distribution. On or before July 1 of the year preceding the primary election, the Director must determine if the amount in the Fund is sufficient to meet the maximum public contributions reasonably expected to be required during the next election cycle. If the Director determines that the total amount available for distribution in the Fund is insufficient to meet the allocations required by this Section, the Director must reduce each public contribution to a certified candidate by the same percentage of the total public contribution.
(e)
General election distributions. Within 3 business days after the County Board certifies the results of the primary election, the Board must authorize the Director to continue to disburse the appropriate public contribution for the general election to each certified candidate who is certified to be on the ballot for the general election.
(f)
Petition candidates. A certified candidate nominated by petition may receive a public contribution for the general election if:
(1)
the candidate’s nomination is certified by the County Board; and
(2)
the candidate did not participate in a primary election.
(g)
Receipts required. A participating candidate must submit a receipt for each qualifying contribution to the Board to receive a public contribution. The Director must deposit the appropriate public contribution into a participating candidate’s publicly funded campaign account within 3 business days after the Board authorizes the public contribution.
(h)
General election public contributions. A candidate may receive a matching public contribution during the general election for an unmatched qualifying contribution received during the primary election after the candidate has received the maximum public contribution for the primary election if the candidate is otherwise eligible to receive matching public contributions during the general election.
(i)
Mistaken public contributions. If the Director mistakenly distributes a public contribution to a candidate greater than the candidate was entitled to receive, the candidate must repay the funds mistakenly distributed within 5 business days after being notified of the mistake. Any unspent funds returned to the County after an election may be used as a credit against any repayment required for a public contribution mistakenly received.
(j)
Consumer Price Index adjustment.
(1)
Effective July 1, 2028 and July 1 of each subsequent fourth year, the Chief Administrative Officer must adjust the public contribution limits established in Subsection (a)(3) of this Section, and the eligible contribution limit established in Section 16-20(d) and Subsection (c) of this Section.
(2)
The Chief Administrative Officer must calculate each adjusted limit to the nearest multiple of $10.
(3)
The adjusted limit must be equal to the current limit multiplied by the outcome of the most recent published Consumer Price Index at the time of the adjustment divided by the annual value of the Consumer Price Index from 4 calendar years prior to the current year.
(4)
The Chief Administrative Officer must, by March 1 of the year preceding an adjustment:
(A)
notify in writing the State Board of Elections and the County Council of the adjusted limits; and
(B)
publish the adjusted limits on the County website.