Kane County poised to ease campaign contribution limits

Money and campaign contributions may soon have at least the appearance of much more influence over the business and political operations of Kane County.

County board members will vote next week on a change to an ethics ordinance first created in 2010.

The ordinance arose as board members, at that time, decried the possible influence of campaign contributions on the awarding of valuable county contracts. A Daily Herald investigation that year showed more than $17.5 million in county funds went to 43 companies and firms that donated nearly $43,000 to former county board Chairman Karen McConnaughay’s political war chest in 2009.

That set in motion the formation of an ordinance more restrictive than state law.

It says no officer or candidate for office in the county can accept contributions of more than $1,000 from an individual, $2,000 from any contractor or union and $4,000 from any political action committee or other entity.

The previous two Kane County state’s attorneys -- John Barsanti and Joe McMahon -- have issued opinions saying that part of the county’s ethics law was unenforceable.

Yet it remained in place because county board members, over the past decade, didn’t want to revert to the state’s contribution limits.

“There were two people who thought that (state) ordinance was great -- George Ryan and Rod Blagojevich,” said former county board member Jim Mitchell after Barsanti and McMahon suggested using the state’s limits.

That sentiment will now be tested against the political will of the county board elected this past November.

Vince Coyle, an assistant state’s attorney under Jaime Mosser, informed a county board committee last month that the county’s ethics ordinance on political contributions is “inconsistent with the (state) election code limitations on political contributions. We wouldn’t be able to be more restrictive because the (state) statute doesn’t allow us to be.”

That’s the same input Barsanti and McMahon gave to previous county boards. But on Wednesday, the new county board’s executive committee voted unanimously to replace the county’s limits on political contributions with the limitations under state law.

If the full county board goes along with that vote, the limit on individual political campaign contributions will increase by 590% to $6,900.

The limits on contributions from corporations or unions will increase by 585% to $13,700.

And the limits on political action committees donating to Kane County officials will increase by 1,613% to $68,500.

https://www.dailyherald.com/news/20230105/kane-county-poised-to-ease-campaign-contribution-limits