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GREENSBORO — Popularity. Experience. A snappy slogan. And cash.


Should campaigns for local elections be publicly financed? Join the discussion at the Debatables blog.


There are many reasons why a person gets elected to public office.


Now, a group of activists wants to level the playing field in at least one area — the money.


Greensboro Citizens for Clean Elections has been trying to build bipartisan support for campaign finance reform of city elections. Backed by North Carolina Common Cause, the small grass-roots group has been petitioning the City Council to send the legislature a request to give Greensboro the ability to run publicly financed elections.


Last year, the prevailing City Council and mayoral candidates raised nearly $300,000 for their campaigns — a level some say unfairly blocks candidates from participating.


In a publicly financed campaign, candidates would get equal amounts from money provided by the city.


"In today's climate, campaign spending is so far out of control that the average person has no chance in making a successful run for public office," said Joe Wilson, who lost his council race last year to Zack Matheny. Matheny raised more than three times what Wilson amassed.


But opponents of the programs say they waste public money and might encourage people who aren't very serious about the office to run.


Cities and states such as Albuquerque, N.M., and Maine have adopted publicly financed elections. Advocates say the program can cut down the amount of money special-interest groups donate to campaigns and free candidates to meet more potential constituents.


Proponents argue that the public financing option allows more people to run for office, including candidates who might otherwise be limited by their inability to raise big bucks.


Common Cause will release a report Wednesday showing the cost of running for office in six North Carolina cities, including Greensboro.


"Throughout the state, the average costs are going up to run for election," said Diane Tworog, deputy assistant director for N.C. Common Cause. "It prices out a lot of citizens."


In North Carolina, public money has been available for candidates in the state Supreme Court and Court of Appeals elections for the past two elections.


Chapel Hill last year became the first city to be granted authority by the legislature to run publicly financed elections.


A committee is drafting guidelines for how the program will run, said Chapel Hill Councilman Mark Kleinschmidt.


To demonstrate they are legitimate candidates, people who wish to participate in the program must first raise small amounts of money — say $5 to $20 — from perhaps 75 people, Kleinschmidt said.


"If you can't convince people to give you small contributions, perhaps you shouldn't be running," Kleinschmidt said.


If candidates meet the threshold, then they will qualify for public financing, which would set a cap on spending. That cap would be determined by the local government, based on an average of what it costs to run for office.


Kleinschmidt said that might be about $6,000 in Chapel Hill.


No candidate would be required to participate, although Tworog said the programs have been popular.


Local advocates would like to see the same kind of program in Greensboro.


If everyone has the same amount of money, "then the only way to separate two candidates is by their message," Wilson said.


Would the program fly in the Gate City?


A huge disparity exists in what candidates raise in Greensboro. Last year, Mayor Yvonne Johnson had $94,000 on hand. But another winning candidate, Councilwoman T. Dianne Bellamy-Small, raised or spent less than the threshold for filing paperwork with the county board of elections, $3,000.


Advocates need a City Council vote before the request can go to the legislature. Greensboro Citizens for Clean Elections organizers say they have at least two council members who support the concept of public funding — Johnson and Goldie Wells.


Johnson said people should have the opportunity to run. She said she would like to see how a program would work.


Other council members appear less inclined to


support the public financing program.


"I'm not so sure that is the direction we need to go in," said Councilman Robbie Perkins. "If people want to give to a candidate, they should be able to give to a candidate."


Perkins said he fears public financing might encourage people who are not serious candidates to run. But he said he was willing to hear advocates' arguments.


Matheny, who raised $46,000 last year, more than any other district candidate, argued that a public financing program would be a poor use of taxpayer money in tough fiscal times.


If candidates can't raise enough money, he said, then they don't have community support.


"Does the community want us to put $300,000 of their money into candidates who may not win, or do they want us to have recycling every week?" Matheny said.


But the cost is worth it, local advocate and Guilford College student Malcolm Kenton said.


"It's an investment in democracy," he said.

Contact Amanda Lehmert at 373-7075 or amanda.lehmert@news-record.com