RR Campaign + Ethics Reform

ROCKY RIVER CHARTER - ARTICLE 10 – GENERAL

TO ADD: SECTION 7. CAMPAIGN AND ETHICS RESTRICTIONS

(A.)           Give residents confidence in their elected Rocky River officials and candidates for public office in Rocky River.

(B.)           This section shall direct the actions of all elected Rocky River officials and candidates for ‘election campaigns and ethics practices’ in Rocky River.

1.      (A.) FAMILY MEMBERS OF ELECTED ROCKY RIVER OFFICIALS SHALL NOT WORK IN Rocky River City Government, Rocky River Waste Water Treatment Plant, Rocky River Municipal Court and Rocky River Public Schools. (B.) FOR EACH INDIVIDUAL WHO IS AN EMPLOYEE OF SAID GOVERNMENT BODY on the date this subpart becomes effective shall be subject to this subpart.

2.      TAXPAYER MONEY SHALL NOT PAY FOR PRINTING AND MAILING OF City Government and City Public School Newsletters, Brochures, Magazines, Flyers, Letters Etc. That show elected Rocky River officials and candidate’s Pictures or Articles by or about them – during their election year.

3.      FEDERAL, STATE AND LOCAL CONTRACTORS AND THEIR FAMILIES SHALL NOT DONATE to elected Rocky River officials and candidates election campaigns.

4.      ELECTRONIC FILING SHALL BE REQUIRED OF ELECTED ROCKY RIVER OFFICIAL’S AND CANDIDATE’S CAMPAIGN FINANCE REPORTS – and their reports shall be placed onto The City of Rocky River’s Web Site.

5.      (A.) EMPLOYEES SHALL NOT CONTRIBUTE FINANCIALLY - WHO WORK FOR Rocky River City Government, Rocky River Waste Water Treatment Plant, Rocky River Municipal Court and Rocky River Public Schools – to elected Rocky River officials and candidates election campaigns. (B.) SAID EMPLOYEE’S FAMILIES SHALL NOT CONTRIBUTE FINANCIALLY – to elected Rocky River officials and candidates election campaigns as well.

6.      LOBBYISTS AND THEIR PACs SHALL NOT CONTRIBUTE TO elected Rocky River officials and candidates election campaigns.

7.      GIFTS SHALL NOT BE GIVEN TO elected Rocky River officials and candidates.

8.      COUNCIL SHALL ADOPT AND CODIFY ‘CAMPAIGN DONATION LAW’. (A.) THAT LOWERS AND LIMITS current ‘hard money donations’ amounts that are presently allowed by law. (B.) THAT BANS ‘soft money donations’. (C.) ANY INCREASES TO SAID DONATIONS – shall be approved by the voters.

9.      COUNCIL SHALL ADOPT AND CODIFY ‘ETHICS LAWS’ THAT CONTROL actions of elected Rocky River officials and candidates.

10. COUNCIL SHALL ADOPT AND CODIFY ‘ETHICS LAWS’ THAT DICTATE what happens to elected Rocky River officials and candidates when they break those laws.

11. (A.) WHEN A CANDIDATE WINS A ROCKY RIVER MUNICIPAL ELECTION AND IS NOT ABLE TO BEGIN HIS OR HER TERM ON THE FOLLOWING JANUARY 1^st OF THE NEXT YEAR FOLLOWING ‘SAID ELECTION’. (B.) There shall be a ‘citywide special municipal election’ for voters to decide his or her replacement no later than sixty (60) days of 'candidate elect’s' ‘official stated’ inability to start ‘said term’. (C.) There shall only be two (2) candidates for ‘said special election’. (D.) ‘Said Candidates’ shall come from candidate(s) who ran against the candidate who could not begin ‘said term’ – and the ‘said candidate’ with the next highest vote count shall come first - then the ‘said candidate’ with the next highest vote count - shall come second. (D.) Council shall pick any further ‘said candidate(s)’ if needed. (E.) Council shall adopt and codify any further laws that will direct the process necessary to carryout ‘said special election’.

(C) All ordinances, resolutions, proclamations, motions and Charter provisions inconsistent with this section are hereby repealed and declared null and void.

(D) This section’s subparts shall be severable and if any part, word or application thereof is held invalid for any reason, such holding shall not invalidate or affect the force and effect of any other part, word or application therof.

(E) As used in this section:

"elected Rocky River official" means all elected officials who are chosen to work for The Rocky River City Government and The Rocky River Public Schools by the electors of Rocky River.

"candidates" means all qualified candidates who seek to be chosen to work for The Rocky River City Government and for The Rocky River Public Schools by the electors of Rocky River.



“lobbyists” means somebody who is paid to lobby/influence elected Rocky River officials on an issue.



“gifts” means something given of worth both monetary, non monetary and a service - that is given to Rocky River candidates or elected Rocky River officials.

“hard money donations” means donations made directly to Rocky River candidates or elected Rocky River officials. These donations are declared with the name of the donor, which then becomes public knowledge.

“soft money donations” means money that is not sent directly to Rocky River candidates or elected Rocky River official’s campaign, but is spent on an activity, especially advertisements, publications, newsletters etc. which promotes a Rocky River candidate or elected Rocky River official’s positions or may be a thinly veiled attack on the opponent's positions, that obviously benefit the other Rocky River candidate or elected Rocky River official. Soft Money Donations will also be prohibited.

“family” means husband, wife and children. 2) all blood relations. 3) all who live in the same household including servants and relatives. 4) father-in-law, mother-in-law, sister-in-law and brother-in-law.