Asked the City Manager to instruct the City Solicitor to draft for discussion several ordinances to reduce or prohibit campaign donations from donors seeking to enter into a contract, seeking approval for a special permit or up-zoning, seeking to acquire real estate from the city, or seeking financial assistance from the city

How it started

Jun 10, 2019 · Proposed by Councillor Carlone, Vice Mayor Devereux, and Councillor Zondervan: a formal request from the Council to the administration.

What happened

Jun 10, 2019 · Amendment carried Mover not named in the minutes; carried 5–4.

the eighth paragraph to add after the words “Solicitor to” the words “provide guidance on the legality of an ordinance” and strike out the words “draft for discussion several ordinances” because he wanted to ensure that this is legal

The clerk's words, from the minutes of Jun 10, 2019, p. 32.

View the roll call on the amendment

Voted yes (5)

Craig A. Kelley
Alanna Mallon
E. Denise Simmons
Timothy J. Toomey
Marc McGovern

Voted no (4)

Dennis Carlone
Jan Devereux
Sumbul Siddiqui
Quinton Zondervan

Jun 10, 2019 · ✅ Order adopted as amended. The Council's request went to the City Manager.

View the roll call

Present and voting at this meeting (9)

Alanna Mallon
Craig A. Kelley
Dennis Carlone
E. Denise Simmons
Jan Devereux
Marc McGovern
Quinton Zondervan
Sumbul Siddiqui
Timothy J. Toomey

Adopted by voice vote. A voice vote records the outcome, not individual positions. No member's yes or no is on the record (though a member can ask to be recorded in the negative in the minutes). Showing the members who cast recorded votes at this meeting. Rule 6 requires a roll call for spending over $50 or on any member's request; state law requires one for every vote when a member participates remotely. · photos: City of Cambridge

What’s next

⌛ No response on the docket: nothing has been filed back under this request's number. Answers sometimes arrive as other items; this ledger tracks only this one.

The document Agenda item attachment · 2 pages

🏛 This item on the city's site 📄 Download original PDF

O-9

The perceived influence of money in politics leads to public mistrust of government on a federal, state and local level; and

The City of Cambridge is considering several major developments seeking special exemption to the zoning code, and many such developers regularly contribute to political campaigns, creating a perceived conflict of interest, whether real or imagined; and

Many applicants for city contracts do not reside in Cambridge and their sole interest in city government is related to the contracts they seek, yet still contribute to political campaigns; and

The City of Los Angeles recently unanimously approved drafting legislation to ban contributions from developers and others doing business with the city or seeking approval on certain projects; and

The State of New Jersey enacted “pay to play” laws limiting political contributions made by business entities that are party to or are attempting to obtain contracts with New Jersey government entities; and

The Cambridge City Council deliberated numerous times on the importance of campaign finance laws with no meaningful legislation adopted; and

The Cambridge City Charter gives the City Council strong influence

over development, and campaign donations from applicants give the perception, whether real or imagined, of favoritism; now therefore be it

ORDERED: That the City Manager be and hereby is requested to instruct the City Solicitor to draft for discussion several ordinances to reduce or prohibit campaign donations from donors seeking to enter into a contract, seeking approval for a special permit or up-zoning, seeking to acquire real estate from the city, or seeking financial assistance from the city; and be it further

ORDERED: That the City Manager be and hereby is requested to refer said draft languages to the Ordinance Committee for deliberation and discussion.

🗓 The meeting where this was taken up: Jun 10, 2019