To understand political action committees, it鈥檚 useful to think of them in terms of families. For example, if a candidate for City Council or mayor were the older sibling, a PAC would be the baby 鈥� that is, it would generally have fewer rules imposed upon it.
This is the third in our series about local campaign finance. You can find a breakdown of limits , and a deep-dive into the now-defunct blackout period .
My Younger Sister, PAC
While PACs are treated like people when it comes to the per-person contribution limit, which the city caps at $350, they can collect and spend a limitless amount of funds on a local council election 鈥� as long as the candidate is in the dark. Or, the spending is 鈥渋ndependent鈥� of the candidate (in other words, buy that television ad, but don鈥檛 let me know).
Here鈥檚 how the city code boils that down:
路聽聽聽聽聽 The expenditure is made independently of the candidate and the candidate鈥檚 committee; 路聽聽聽聽聽 The expenditure is made without prior consent of the candidate; and 路聽聽聽聽聽 The expenditure is made without cooperation or strategic communication between the independent person making the expenditure and the candidate or the candidate鈥檚 committee.
Plus a PAC, unlike its big brothers and sisters, can receive money from corporations; but, once it does, it can no longer contribute directly to candidates for Council or mayor. Austinites witnessed this fact most notably in the recent Proposition 1 campaign, in which ride-hailing companies Uber and Lyft, the sole contributors, gave more than $9 million to local PAC Ridesharing Works for Austin.
Report It, Sister
But once a PAC tops out at $500 in independent spending, it鈥檚 required to report this. Here鈥檚 the :
A form identified as Schedule ATX.1 鈥淩eport of Direct Campaign Expenditures鈥� must be filed with the City Clerk鈥檚 office by every person including political action committees other than a candidate or a candidate鈥檚 committee who make independent expenditures exceeding $500 in aggregate for the purpose of promoting the election or defeat of any candidate or ballot measure in a City election. Such form must be filed within the deadlines specified in the cited Code section.
That鈥檚 how we know a PAC calling itself Vote鈥檓 In Vote鈥檓 Out . And how the Inclusive Austin PAC on Council Member .
This story was produced as part of KUT's reporting partnership with the Austin Monitor.
