Ulster County Executive Proposes Campaign Finance Reforms

Earlier this week, Ulster County Executive Mike Hein released a campaign finance reform proposal that includes matching public funds for candidates who agree to limit their campaign spending; establishes enhanced disclosure requirements; creates an independent Commission on Public Finance to administer and enforce the new law, and to make recommendations regarding the adequacy of public financing and its impact on the county budget; and provides lower contribution limits for persons or entities who do business with the county.

This is just another reminder that more and more local governments throughout the state (typically counties) are putting their own campaign finance laws in place.  The most common of these are so-called “pay to play” laws that limit the amount of money that entities doing business with the government can contribute to candidates, which Orange and Rockland counties have already done.

Read news coverage from the Times Herald Record and MidHudson News.