Somerville Officials Seek to Curb 'Pay-to-Play' Campaign Contributions

Alderman At-Large William White and Somerville Mayor Joseph Curtatone have proposed measures that would regulate so-called "pay-to-play" campaign contributions—contributions from companies and people doing business with the city.

Asked if such campaign contributions were a problem in Somerville, White, who serves as president of the Board of Aldermen and who spent weeks drafting one of the propsals, said, "I have not gone over the campaign records of elected officials in the city of Somerville."

However, he said pay-to-play contributions have been problems in other communities, and with the "development presures we see in Somerville," he felt it was important to create an ordinance that would regulate the amount of money developers, firms and those who do business with the city are allowed to contribute to elected officials and candidates.

The ordinance Curtatone proposed is similar to White's and includes much of the same language.

Curtatone, speaking at the May 23 Board of Aldermen meeting, said the purpose of the proposals is "to reassure people that we're above board."

"There are no backroom deals, there are no side deals, and we conduct an open, effective and honest government," he said.

The mayor noted that "Somerville had a reputation in the past" as a place where backroom deals took place. "We fought back hard over many decades to change that," he said.

White spoke about the influence of campaign money, even at the local level, especially in the wake of the Supreme Court's "Citizens United" decision, which had the effect of creating Super PACs that could raise and spend large amounts money on campaigns.

Ward 6 Alderman Rebekah Gewirtz said the proposals are a "critically important step for our community."

"There is so much cynicism these days about government," she said, adding she wants to "do everything we possibly can to limit any sort of pay-to-play perception or reality."

Both the mayor's and White's proposed ordinances would require companies and individuals seeking to do business with the city—buying land, building large developments, seeking zoning relief, and that sort of thing—to fill out a mandatory disclosure form listing all campaign contributions to Somerville candidates.

Some of the details differ in both proposals, but both would require the disclosure of contributions made by immediate family members and business partners. Those contributions would be added up.

In White's plan, any contributions, once added up, of over $300 would prevent the individual or company from doing business with the city. In the mayor's plan, that number is $250.

White said the two proposals aren't at odds with each other. "I think we're united in purpose," he said. Curtatone said the proposals were a good starting point for collaboration on the issue.

The proposed ordinances were referred to the Legislative Matters Committee for discussion.