Approve city campaign rules, not pay raise

Wichita City Council members could stage a revolt Tuesday by refusing both to reschedule municipal elections and to open them to corporate, labor union and PAC money. Doing so, though ill-advised for several reasons, would favor local control over state mandates and locally focused elections over special-interest-driven politics.

Mayor Jeff Longwell and the other council members could even go for a hat trick by declining the pay increases included in the bundle of proposed ordinance changes. Saying “no” would acknowledge the poor timing of approving 8.1 to 10.6 percent raises for themselves when personal income per capita in the Wichita area grew by only 1.8 percent last year.

But forgoing the campaign and election changes would unwisely invite legal trouble. The new state law requiring that municipal and school board elections be held in the fall of odd-numbered years, starting in 2017, has no exemption for cities that like the status quo of spring elections.

Other jurisdictions’ campaign finance bans have been challenged on First Amendment grounds in the wake of the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2010 Citizens United decision. That’s why city legal staff advises newly allowing corporations, partnerships, trusts, labor unions, business groups and other such organizations to contribute directly to City Council and mayoral campaigns (though the current $500 contribution cap in the primary and general elections would remain).

Council members note that it’s not as if local elections are immune from special-interest influence now. But as federal politics continues to prove shamelessly, welcoming PAC, union and other special-interest money to municipal campaigns is unlikely to lead to better, cleaner governance at City Hall.

Meanwhile, the raises would equalize City Council compensation at $40,000 each while bumping the mayor up to $90,000. That would somewhat address the inexplicable wage gap between the city leaders and the five Sedgwick County commissioners, who are each budgeted to earn more than $89,000 a year. At least the council must actively take a vote to raise its wages this time, rather than let some automatic formula fatten their paychecks. Still, the rate of increase seems excessive.

The council may have no choice but to approve the campaign finance and election changes. But it can and should limit the pay raises.

This story was originally published November 30, 2015 at 6:07 PM with the headline "Approve city campaign rules, not pay raise."