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HomeMy WebLinkAbout137 - 08/18/1998 - AMENDING THE CITY CODE RELATING TO VOTER REGISTRATION AND ELECTION CAMPAIGN REPORTS ORDINANCE NO. 137, 1998 OF THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF FORT COLLINS AMENDING CHAPTER 7 OF THE CODE OF THE CITY OF FORT COLLINS RELATING TO VOTER REGISTRATION AND ELECTION CAMPAIGN REPORTS WHEREAS, Section 7-101 of the Code of the City of Fort Collins provides that qualified persons shall be permitted to register to vote up to twenty-five (25) days before any municipal election; and WHEREAS, said provision is in conflict with Section 1-2-201 of the Colorado Revised Statutes, which requires that voter registration be no later than twenty-nine (29) days before an election; and WHEREAS, the Council believes that, for the sake of simplicity and consistency, Section 7-101 of the Code should be amended so as to be consistent with the provisions of the State Statutes; and WHEREAS,Article 45 of Title 1 of the Colorado Revised Statutes,previously known as the Campaign Reform Act, required certain election campaign reports to be filed with the City Clerk; and WHEREAS,the Campaign Reform Act was repealed by the voters of the State of Colorado at the November 1996 General Election and reenacted as the Fair Campaign Practices Act (the "FCPA"); and WHEREAS, the FCPA, as amended by the enactment of House Bill 98-1105,provides for the filing of election campaign reports on the twenty-first day before,the Friday before,and thirty days after a major election; and WHEREAS, Section 7-129 of the Code of the City of Fort Collins currently requires an additional preelection report to be filed on the Thursday before the date of an election; and WHEREAS,Council believes that the additional preelection report required by Section 7-129 of the City Code would more appropriately serve the interests of the voters of Fort Collins if filed fourteen (14) days before an election; and WHEREAS, Section 7-130 of the Code of the City of Fort Collins requires any campaign report submitted to the City Clerk to be published in a newspaper of general circulation; and WHEREAS,the Council believes it is no longer feasible,or necessary,to publish every such report,particularly when conducting a mail ballot election. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT ORDAINED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF FORT COLLINS as follows: Section 1. That Section 7-101(c)of the Code of the City of Fort Collins be amended to read as follows: Sec. 7-101. Registration of municipal electors. (c) Any other provisions of the Colorado Municipal Election Code notwithstanding, qualified persons shall be permitted to register up to twenty-nine (29) days before any municipal election for which registration is required. Section 2. That Section 7-129 of the Code of the City of Fort Collins be amended to read as follows: Sec. 7-129. Additional preelection report required. In addition to the reports required to be filed pursuant to the provisions of Section 1-45-101 et seq., C.R.S., each candidate and campaign treasurer for candidates or issues shall, on the fourteenth day prior to the date of the election, file a campaign report, current in all respects, as of two (2) days prior to the filing date,which report shall include all required information in Section 1-45-108, C.R.S. Section 3. That Section 7-130 of the Code of the City of Fort Collins be amended to read as follows: Sec. 7-130. Reports to be public record. Upon receipt of any campaign report submitted pursuant to this Article, the City Clerk shall make available such report for public inspection. The campaign report filed with the City Clerk fourteen (14) days prior to the election pursuant to § 7-129 above shall be published by the City Clerk in a newspaper of general circulation in the city,which publication shall occur no less than seven(7)days prior to the election. The campaign report filed with the City Clerk thirty (30) days after the election pursuant to Section 1-45-108 (2)(a) C.R.S. shall also be published by the City Clerk in a newspaper of general circulation in the city,which publication shall occur no less than seven (7) days after the City Clerk's receipt of the report. Introduced and considered favorably on first reading and ed published t s 4th day of August, A.D. 1998, and to be presented for fi:ay;o;rz: day of ust, D. 1998. ATTEST:I" -\�,j& - .. City Clerk Passed and adopted on final reading this 18th day of Aagust, D. 1998, ayor ATTEST: City Clerk