§ 2-2-2. DEFINITIONS.

In this chapter:

(1)

CAMPAIGN or CAMPAIGN COMMITTEE means the principal, authorized political committee of a candidate for City office.

(2)

CAMPAIGN CONTRACT means a contract between a candidate for mayor or city council and the City as provided by this chapter.

(3)

CAMPAIGN FINANCE REPORT means a periodic report of contributions, loans, credits, interest, gains, reimbursements, and expenditures of a candidate, officeholder, or political committee required to be filed under Chapter 254, Texas Election Code, including any other matters and reports required to be disclosed under this chapter.

(4)

CAMPAIGN PERIOD means the time period allowed in City Charter Article III, Section 8 ( Limits on Campaign Contributions and Expenditures ) and Section 2-2-7 of this chapter.

(5)

CAMPAIGN TREASURER means the individual designated by a candidate, officeholder, or political committee under the Texas Election Code, including a candidate acting as his or her own campaign treasurer.

(6)

CANDIDATE means:

(a)

a candidate for mayor or city council;

(b)

a candidate's campaign committee; and

(c)

related to Article 4 ( Direct Campaign Expenditures ), a person who has, or has had during an election or runoff election, authority to act on behalf of the candidate or candidate's campaign.

(7)

CONTRIBUTION means a direct or indirect transfer of money, goods, services, or any other thing of value, including a pledge or an agreement or other obligation incurred, whether legally enforceable or not, to make a transfer. The term does not include an expenditure required to be reported under Section 305.006(b), Texas Government Code. In-kind labor, as defined in this chapter, is not a contribution.

(8)

ELECTION or CITY ELECTION means the process by which an individual (whether opposed or unopposed) seeks election to City office, or an election for a ballot measure.

(9)

EXPENDITURE means a payment of money or other thing of value, including an agreement made or other obligation incurred, whether legally enforceable or not, to make a payment. The term includes political expenditures made from the personal funds of a candidate or officeholder.

(10)

INDIVIDUAL means a natural person, and cannot mean a corporation or other entity.

(11)

IN-KIND LABOR means the value of personal services provided without compensation by any individual who volunteers on behalf of a candidate or political committee.

(12)

LOAN means an agreement for the transfer of funds from a lender to a candidate, officeholder, or political committee with terms of repayment. The term includes the deposit of personal funds by a candidate or officeholder into an account in which political contributions are held.

(13)

LOBBY or LOBBYING has the same meaning set out in City Code Chapter 4-8 ( Regulation of Lobbyists ).

(14)

OFFICEHOLDER means an individual holding the office of mayor or City councilmember.

(15)

OFFICEHOLDER ACCOUNT means an account maintained by an officeholder as permitted by the Texas Election Code to make officeholder expenditures, whether or not maintained as a segregated fund.

(16)

OFFICEHOLDER EXPENDITURE means a payment made or obligation incurred by an officeholder when the payment or obligation is for officeholder purposes authorized by this chapter. The term includes political expenditures made from the personal funds of an officeholder.

(17)

PERSON means an individual, corporation, partnership, labor union, or labor organization, or any unincorporated association, firm, committee, club, or other organization or group of persons, including a political committee organized under the Texas Election Code, not limited to the definition in Section 1-1-2 ( General Definitions ) of the Code.

(18)

POLITICAL ADVERTISING has the meaning set out in the Texas Election Code.

(19)

POLITICAL COMMITTEE means a specific purpose political committee or general purpose political committee as defined in the Texas Election Code.

(20)

QUALIFYING CANDIDATE means a candidate who has signed a campaign contract under this chapter and who has met the requirements under this chapter to qualify for funds from the Austin Fair Campaign Finance Fund.

(21)

REPORTING PERIOD means a period established under Chapter 254, Texas Election Code, and this chapter, for filing of campaign finance reports.

(22)

RUNOFF ELECTION means an election following an election in which no candidate receives a majority of the votes cast.

(23)

STRATEGIC COMMUNICATION means a communication regarding advertising, campaign strategies, and voter groups between the candidate, candidate's campaign committee, or their agents or employees and any of the persons, agents, or employees of the entity making expenditures.

Source: Ord. 20080925-079; Ord. 20090618-048; Ord. 20120802-069; Ord. No. 20160407-006, Pt. 1, 4-18-16 ; Ord. No. 20160623-020, Pt. 2, 7-3-16 ; Ord. No. 20171005-029 , Pt. 1, 10-16-17.