Statement on Mayoral Charter Revision Commission Preliminary Report
The Charter Revision Commission has identified many important measures and issues in its report, including incentivizing small donor campaign fundraising, instant runoff voting (IRV), and redistricting reforms. While the report is not final, Reinvent Albany is optimistic the Commission will put meaningful proposals on the ballot in November that will improve the city’s democracy.
Reinvent Albany has testified three times before the Charter Revision Commission, and was invited to testify before the Commission as experts on campaign finance reform. We have called for the Commission to eliminate the cap on public matching funds that disincentivizes candidates from raising campaign funds from small donors; lower campaign contributions; increase the matching rate for small donations; and limit matching funds to contributions of $175 or less. Reinvent Albany has also called on the Commission to support instant runoff voting and address unlimited contributions to city-affiliated nonprofits by donors doing business with the city.
A summary of all of our recommendations are here.