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Taxpayers could help fund city council campaigns under a measure given tentative approval by the N.C. House on Wednesday evening.
The House must confirm its 60-52 vote today before sending the measure to the Senate.

Rep. Pricey Harrison, one of the bill’s primary sponsors, said many Greensboro residents supported the bill because they were worried about the increasing cost of city council campaigns.

“There was a perception that a lot of the decisions made at the city council level were being influenced by people who were writing the checks,” she said.

North Carolina already has a public financing system in place for some judicial posts and some statewide elected officials. This bill would give cities the option of experimenting with public financing systems. They would be overseen by the State Board of Elections.

Nick Divitci, a Greensboro resident who has worked in council campaigns, came to Raleigh to lobby on behalf of the bill last month. He said it would help cure a “lopsidedness” in the local political process.

“The lopsidedness is mostly toward the development interests,” Divitci said last month, bringing up a common complaint.

Donations connected to real estate interests — including builders, developers and lawyers — are the most frequently cited as pumping up the cost of local elections. And many of the most controversial cases before local governments involve how a particular piece of property may or may not be used.

In fact, lobbyists for the N.C. Home Builders Association spoke against the measure during committee hearings, saying it would deprive their members of the right to participate in the political process through their political action committees.

In 2007, the two leading contestants for Greensboro mayor spent a combined $156,759.18, according to campaign finance reports. In the District 5 campaign, Trudy Wade and incumbent Sandy Carmany spent more than $42,000 combined.

On the floor, opponents of the measure said cities had better things to spend their money on than financing elections.

“Rather than paving roads, we’ll be paying candidates to campaign,” said Rep. Ronnie Sutton, a Robeson County Democrat.

Rep. John Blust, a Guilford County Republican, voted for the bill, but said it was a mistake. He had meant to hit the red “no” button.

“I’m just not for using tax money to fund campaigns,” he said. “It’s not a proper use of funds.”

Under the proposal, candidates who wish to participate would have to raise a number of small-dollar donations — the threshold to be set by each city. Then, in exchange for public support, candidates would pledge to obey fundraising and spending limits.

And backers emphasized that the bill did not require local governments to participate.

“If cities or municipalities can’t pay for these (programs), then they shouldn’t do them,” said Rep. Hugh Holliman.

But Rep. Paul “Skip” Stam, a Wake County Republican, said taxpayers should not be forced to pay for campaign ads with which they disagree.
“It is not voluntary for the taxpayer,” he said.

Contact Mark Binker at (919) 832-5549 or mark.binker@news-record.com