What Our Research Found
The Rising Cost Money flowing into Alachua County elections is rising dramatically, far exceding the increase in voters and the increase in population within Alachua County. The financial gap between the campaign funds of candidates in Alachua County races has become a gulf. The trend in campaign fund raising since 1996 suggests that we will soon be facing races in which candidates are spending over $100,000 to seek local elective office; and the gulf may become so large that grass-root campaigns without substantial financial backers may no longer be viable. All candidates are increasingly driven to focus on raising money in order to compete against the candidate with the most money raised. Candidates should be able to spend more time discussing issues and less time raising money. The size of campaign funds raised by the candidate with the most reported contributions in each race rose 28% between the November 1996 election and the November 1998 election. It rose another 21% between the November 1998 election and the November 2000 election.
Range in Contributions Raised for |
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The above graphs show the range in the amount of contributions raised by candidates who reached the general election for Alachua County elective office since 1996. The bar height indicates the maximum amount raised by a candiate. The blue portion of the bar indicates the minimum amount raised by a candidate. The red portion of the bar is the difference or range between the minimum and maximum. Click here for further detail ...
From 1996 to 2000, the total reported campaign contributions raised by all Alachua County Commission candidates increased 55.7%. At the same time the county's registered voters increased 10% and the estimated county population increased 8.8% .
Increase in Total Contributions Raised for
Alachua County Commission Elections
Since November 1996
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Public Disclosure
Florida statute intends for public disclosure of all campaign contributions and expenditures. However, loopholes exist in the current law that prevent the public from having full knowledge of what kind of money, representing what interests, are behind the candidates.
Current state regulation requires candidates to file their treasurer's reports of all their contributions and expenditures at various intervals during the year. These reporting periods become more frequent as the election approaches; with the final report being due 4 days prior to the election. The due date for the treasurer's report is not a hard due date. State law does not require that the report be received by the Supervisor of Elections by the due date; only that it be postmarked by the due date. The result is that the money reported in the final reporting period is unlikely to be disclosed to the public prior to the election.
Of the combined total dollars raised by candidates for Alachua County Commission seats in the November 2000 election, 22% or $62,620.84 was reported in the final reporting period. The amount of contributions reported by each of the candidates in their final reporting period varied greatly, ranging from 5% to 34% . The contributions to one candidate in the final period ($28,272.62) exceeded the total campaign contributions raised by 5 of the other candidates.
Contributions Reported in the Last Reporting Period
by Alachua County Commission Candidates in November 2000
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The above graph shows the amount of contributions reported by each of the candidates who ran for an Alachua County Commission seat in the November 2000 general election. The bar height indicates the total amount reported by a candiate. The blue portion of the bar indicates the amount reported prior to the last reporting period before the general election. The red portion of the bar indicates the amount reported during the last reporting period.
Special Interest
Current Florida regulations do not require that certain information be reported for each contribution that would help the public discern the special interest of the donor, nor the type of contribution other than whether it was in cash, a check, as loan, or in-kind. Therefore, it is difficult to know whether money contributed to candidates for Alachua County office is reflective of the make-up of the voters of Alachua County and how much of it represents undue influence by special interests.
There is no requirement to identify whether money comes from an individual ("natural person") or not, or from within the county or outside the county. It is sometimes even difficult to discern the actual name of the donor due to inconsistencies in the way names are reported. For example, would Thomas Gordon be the same person as Gordon Thomas and, if so, what is his last name? Often when donors are professional people who run their own practice or business -- such as lawyers, doctors, and accountants -- their business name is reported the same as their personal name and, there again, it is difficult to discern whether the donation comes from a natural person or business.
Of the combined total dollars raised by all candidates for Alachua County Commission in 2000, 27% or $94,198.79 is estimated to have come from sources that are not natural persons. The estimated amount of such contributions accepted by the individual candidates ranged from 0% to 48.5% and from $0.00 to $31,584.67. The estimated corporate contributions received by one candidate ($31,584.67) exceeded the total campaign contributions raised by 6 of the 7 other candidates.
Estimated Contributions Received from Natural Persons
by Alachua County Commission Candidates in 2000
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The above graph shows the amount of contributions raised by each of the candidates who ran for an Alachua County Commission seat in 2000. The bar height indicates the total amount raised by a candidate. The blue portion of the bar indicates the estimated amount received from natural persons. The red portion of the bar indicates the estimated amount received from sources other than natural persons: not-for-profit corporations, businesses, PACs, CCEs, and political parties. An asterisk below a bar indicates that the candidate ran in the general election. A bar without an asterisk is a candidate who was defeated in either a primary or run-off election.
The Business Advantage
Some people have an advantage over the average person in the amount of financial support they can direct toward their candidate. Florida law limits the total amount of contribution from a single source to $500 per candidate per election. But, those who own or run a business can legally donate up to $500 in their name and $500 in the name of each of their businesses. Review of the treasurer's reports from the Alachua County Commission races in 2000 shows that this advantage was used in support of some candidates. The number of business contributions varied greatly among the candidates. Those candidates who received large portions of their support from business donations also showed a concentration of business donations among their larger donations.
Enacted Local Campaign Reform
Our research has found examples of local campaign reform enacted by city and county governments across the United States.