Daily Herald opinion: Naperville should preserve campaign disclosure rule
This editorial is a consensus opinion of the Daily Herald Editorial Board.
More than two years ago, we praised the Naperville City Council for approving an ethics rule requiring the mayor and council members to publicly disclose campaign contributions from big donors.
The rule, adopted in December 2020, applies if someone who donated $750 or more to an elected city official becomes an interested party in a matter before the council.
Theresa Sullivan, the council member who proposed the change, said at the time that it would ensure the public is aware of any prior financial support by petitioners, their agents or public participants in a council agenda item, including speakers for or against an issue.
But Naperville Mayor Steve Chirico, who didn't run for reelection, recently called on the city council to repeal the campaign disclosure requirement.
Chirico said the rule is "flawed" after Sullivan failed to disclose contributions to Naperville Forward, a political action committee she chairs.
The mayor argued the policy is ineffective and fails to prevent outside money from influencing candidates. He also said it opens the door to "gotcha" moments if council members fail to remember some of the many contributions they receive during a campaign.
In addition, Chirico said repealing the rule would not affect transparency because the city adheres to state regulations.
Sullivan says she didn't initially disclose a $5,000 union donation to Naperville Forward because the city's ethics rule does not apply to political action committees.
The last thing we want to see is local politicians influenced by special interests. So it is unfortunate that the disclosure requirement in Naperville does not apply to PACs.
Still, there's no need to scrap it entirely.
Last week, the city council postponed any decision about the rule until the fall. Some said the incoming mayor - Scott Wehrli - and new council members should adjust the policy as they see fit.
Councilwoman Jennifer Bruzan Taylor proposed delaying the vote until October. Then, city staff could research best practices from other communities, and new council members could attend a workshop about options and ramifications.
That is the right approach.
We said the ethics rule was a significant step to increase transparency when it was adopted. We still believe that. Because while Illinois law requires political candidates to report their campaign donations, residents have to do some research online to view those campaign finance filings. Naperville's policy makes it easier for the public to be informed about any large donations their elected officials receive.
City council members shouldn't get rid of the campaign disclosure requirement. They should work to expand and improve it.