Vote to change campaign limits fails

Efforts to change or eliminate campaign contribution limits for city offices are in uncertain territory after one council member changed his swing vote since the last meeting.

The City Council voted on two different provisions to change limits at the Monday meeting as part of a larger package of campaign law changes, but both failed on a 4-3 vote. That means that when the package comes back at the next meeting for a presumed final vote, the present limit of $300 will be up for debate.

Councilman Gil Coerper changed his vote at the council’s meeting this week, changing last meeting’s 4-3 vote to eliminate limits on campaign contributions from a narrow success to a narrow failure. His own compromise proposal, which would move the limit to $500, also failed 4-3.

“I didn’t flip-flop as some people think I did,” Coerper said of his attempt at a $500 limit. “I brought this up at last council meeting, saying this [limit] is what I would like to do. Nobody heard me.”