Should the City Proceed with a Campaign Contribution Rebate Program for Municipal Election Donations?

At our Corporate Services, Strategy, Risk & Accountability (CSSRA) Committee on April 6, we will be considering a range of options related to a campaign contribution rebate program for municipal election donations for the City of Burlington.The purpose of establishing a program like this in Burlington is to encourage participation in municipal elections by reducing the financial burden placed on candidates and campaign donors.You can read the full staff report here: CL-12-22 Campaign Contribution Rebate Program.OPTIONS TO BE CONSIDERED:

Burlington Contribution Rebate Program Options
	Option 1	Option 2	Option 3
Minimum Contribution	$25	$100	$100
Rebate rate	25%	50%	75% for the first $10025% for amount beyond $100
Maximum rebate amount	$150 per contributor	$200 per contributor	$300 per contributor
Estimated Cost to the City	$45,115	$71,250	$81,815
Cost per elector	$0.35	$0.56	$0.64
Considerations	• Similar to Whitby's modest 2018 approach• Likely to have a low uptake• CoB policy for issuing cheques is a minimum payment of $25• Unlikely to promote increased engagement• Cost and effort to administer the program should also be considered	• Rebate rate is straightforward to administer and easier to understand by candidates and contributors• Cost and effort to administer the program should also be considered	• Minimum amount has been increased to ensure payments for smaller donations aren't less than the actual cost to cut the cheque for the rebate• Maximum rebate amount has been increased to bring it more in line with neighbouring municipalities while being fiscally conservative• Cost and effort to administer the program should also be considered
Option 4Receive and file Office of the City Clerk report CL-12-22 regarding a Campaign Contribution Rebate Program for the 2022 Municipal Election.

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Delegating at the Meeting:Any member of the public wishing to delegate at committee can register at www.burlington.ca/delegation or by emailing the Clerks Dept. at clerks@burlington.ca or calling 905-335-7600, ext. 7481.If you have presentation materials, they must be submitted to the Clerks Dept. no later than noon (12 p.m.) one business day before the meeting to allow its distribution and review by all members of the Committee. The content of all submissions is considered to be public and will be posted to the City’s website.Speakers are limited to a maximum of 10 minutes each and are webcasted online.