Candidate Campaign Finance Reports

Title 15 of the Election Code is entitled “Regulating Political Funds and Campaigns.”  Administration, interpretation, and enforcement of Election Code (EC) Title 15 are the responsibility of the Texas Ethics Commission.  The Commission has prescribed forms and instruction guides which may be obtained by downloading from the Commission’s website www.ethics.state.tx.us or contacting the Commission’s office.  The address and phone number are:

Texas Ethics Commission
P.O. Box 12070, Capitol Station
Austin, Texas 78711-2070
1-800-325-8506
FAX (512) 463-5777

Complaints

Any person may file a written complaint with the commission alleging a violation of EC Title 15.  The complaint can be about any person subject to EC Title 15 alleging a violation of a rule adopted by or a law administered and enforced by the Commission.  Commission investigation of a complaint filed in connection with a city election would be deferred until the day after the election, or the day after any runoff election, if the complaint is filed within 60 days before the date of the election.

General Provisions of the Law

1. EC Title 15 applies to all elections held in the state for nominating or electing candidates to public elective offices created by or under authority of the laws of the state of for voting on measures submitted to the voters. 
2. The principal objective of the law is to obtain a full public disclosure with regard to the financing of political campaigns and officeholder activities that are supported by contributions instead of public money. 
3. There are no limits on the amount that a candidate, officeholder, or political committee may receive in contributions or incur in expenditures.
4. There are both civil and criminal penalties for violation of provisions of Title 15.

Reports Filed with City Secretary

Every Title 15 report that is filed with the city secretary must be filed on a form prescribed by the commission, using black ink, unless the report is a computer printout.  Report may be filed by first class United State mail or common or contract carrier; or by personal delivery.

Inspection and Copying of Documents

Documents filed under EC Title 15 become public information at the time they are received in the city secretary’s office.

Candidates and committees are listed in alphabetical order.  Any questions, please contact city secretary at iparker@addisontx.gov. 

Personal Information of an Elected Official

H.B. 1082, signed into law by the Governor on May 19, 2021, went into effect immediately. The bill provides that certain information a city holds as an employer is excepted from the Public Information Act (PIA), regardless of whether an elected officer affirmatively elects the information be kept confidential. Specifically, the information includes the home address, home telephone number, emergency contact information, social security number, and personal family information of an elected public officer. 

With regards to information contained in records maintained by the city in a non-employment capacity, an elected public officer’s home address, home telephone number, emergency contact information, date of birth, social security number, and family member information is excepted from the PIA if the elected officer chooses to keep the information confidential.

Do H.B. 1082’s protections extend to information on an application for a place on the ballot given that the Texas Election Code provides that the application is public immediately upon filing? It’s unclear. As of this writing, some cities have requested a ruling from the attorney general’s Open Records Division regarding that question, but none has yet been issued.

MAY 7, 2022 Candidate Reports Due Before the May 7, 2022 Uniform Election

Thursday, April 7, 2022 (30th day before the May 7, 2022 Uniform Election)

• Beginning Date of Period Covered: January 1, 2022 or the date of campaign treasurer appoint or the day after the date the last report ended

• Ending Date of Period Covered: March 28, 2022

Friday, April 29, 2022 (8th day before May 7, 2022 Uniform Election)

• Beginning Date of Period Covered: March 29, 2022 or date of campaign treasurer appointment or the day after the date the last report ended.

• Ending Date of Period Covered: April 27, 2022

Council Candidates

DARREN GARDNER 

• 30th Day Before May 7 Election:  April 7, 2022
• 8th Day Before May 7 Election:  April 29, 2022
• Semiannual Campaign Finance Report: July 15, 2022

QUINTANILLA, GUILLERMO 

• 30th Day Before May 7 Election:  April 7, 2022
• 8th Day Before May 7 Election:  April 29, 2022
• Semiannual Campaign Finance Report: July 15, 2022

EILEEN RESNIK

• 30th Day Before May 7 Election:  April 7, 2022
• 8th Day Before May 7 Election:  April 29, 2022
• Semiannual Campaign Finance Report: July 15, 2022

SMITH, RANDY 

• 30th Day Before May 7 Election:  April 7, 2022
• 8th Day Before May 7 Election:  April 29, 2022
• Semiannual Campaign Finance Report: July 15, 2022