El Paso City Council adopts new reporting requirements for candidates
EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) -- A change for those who are running for city office.
El Paso's City Council has approved making candidates report political contributions during public meetings, just like they do.
Under the prior local ordinance, only city council members were required to report campaign contributions of $500 or more within a month of receiving them. That information, along with whoever the donor is, then gets placed on the council agenda for the public to see.
Now, local officials are leveling the playing field—adding local candidates and their donors to the reporting requirement.
Candidates also have a state requirement to report contributions every 6 months, and also closer to Election Day.
Council approved this change in a 5-1 vote last month, according to city records.
Records show Representatives Brian Kennedy, Art Fierro, Henry Rivera, Chris Canales and Josh Acevedo voted yes, while Rep. Joe Molinar voted no.
Representative Cassandra Hernandez, who is currently running for mayor, abstained from voting, while Rep. Isabel Salcido was not present.
According to El Paso City spokeswoman Laura Cruz-Acosta, this change took effect immediately after it passed council.
ABC-7 asked Cruz-Acosta if there is an enforcement component to the law. She pointed us to the local ethics law that shows a city resident can file a complaint with the Ethics Review Commission if they feel a violation has happened.
ABC-7 did a quick check, and found El Paso County already requires candidates for Commissioners Court to report contributions of $2,500 or more. That information, along with the donor, also gets placed on the Commissioner's Court agendas for taxpayers to see.
