New York City Councilman Tony Avella is prepping a Clean Elections bill for the city council to consider that would go a step beyond the city's current matching funds program to address the influence of special interest money in city elections.

New York City's matching funds program has been lauded for helping candidates without access to wealth to still have the resources to seek office. But big money still plays a central role in city politics. From the Epoch Times:

An aggregate of campaign funds of 14 potential candidates for city office showed that over 96% of their funds come from donations of over $175, according to the New York City Campaign Finance Board. Donations over $175 may not be counted towards the dollar amount requirement to qualify for public funds.


Currently, candidates who participate in the public matching funds program will receive six dollars in public funds for every dollar donated by a New York City resident. The matching public funds program is intended to “make candidates less dependent on large contributions and assisting candidates who do not have access to large moneyed sources,” reads its Web site.

The real estate industry donates the most to city office candidates, according to Dan Jacoby, an organizer with Democracy for New York City, an organization under Democracy for America, the organization founded by Democratic National Committee chairman Howard Dean.

To cities already have full public financing programs on the books; Portland, Oregon and Albuquerque, New Mexico.