City Council was anti-disclosure, County Board, pro-disclosure. However, they are years behind he City on the matter of electronic filing of campaign finance reports.
Executive Committee Recommends adoption 3-1.
Sup. Dave Ripp says that it is hard to believe that some people in Dane County still don’t use a computer. By doing this you are making it harder for them to run for county office. It is not as drastic as what the state did with voter ID, but he says he considers this the county’s version of campaign ID.
Sup. Kyle Richmond supports it, thanks them for bringing it forward. Says it makes it easier for the staff and public. When you file something on papers it takes longer, clerk’s staff has to scan it. This is important and we need to come into the 21st century.
Sup. Bill Clausius asks the County Clerk several questions. How will the filing be done, a pdf, data entry, do they need special software, will the campaign submittal be the one the candidate submits or the audited version by the clerk’s staff.
County Clerk Scott McDonell says that they can still file on paper by the filing deadline, this ordinance says within a week after that they also have to file electronically. There is the standard excel sheet on the website. He says he will personally help anyone that needs help with that. They would need that software. He says this is easier for candidates and the staff. If people are filing exempt they will not have to file electronically. The pdf of what you will submit will be posted, the excel files will not because it would be too tempting to have people take your data and use it in an inappropriate way under state law. He says they will be able to post summary data without the staff hand entering it all – including sheriff and county executive.
Motion passes on a voice vote, only Ripp asks to be recorded as voting no.
At least these liberals are, you know, liberal. Even the conservatives and Republicans voted for this.
