MACo Supports More Flexibility for Local Public Campaign Financing

On January 31, 2023, Policy Director Kevin Kinnally testified in support of HB 0176 – Local Public Campaign Financing – Expansion to Additional Offices before the House Ways and Means Committee. This bill would expand the offices for which a county may establish a public campaign financing system.

Currently, counties may authorize public campaign financing for elective offices in the executive and legislative branches of county government. This bill would enable counties to offer public campaign financing to candidates seeking to serve as a state’s attorney, sheriff, register of wills, judge of the circuit court, clerk of the circuit court, judge of the orphans’ court, or an elected member of the county board of education.

From the MACo Testimony:

This legislation properly leaves the decision for establishing a system of public campaign financing in the hands of the local governments, who are best situated to determine whether such a policy is in their best interest.