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Ordinance
Legislation
City Hall
3500 Pan American Drive
Miami, FL 33133
www.miamigov.com
File Number: 15560 Final Action Date: 3/14/2024
AN ORDINANCE OF THE MIAMI CITY COMMISSION AMENDING CHAPTER
16/ARTICLE II OF THE CODE OF THE CITY OF MIAMI, FLORIDA, AS
AMENDED ("CITY CODE"), TITLED "ELECTIONS/ELECTRONIC REPORTING,"
MORE PARTICULARLY BY AMENDING SECTION 16-20 OF THE CITY CODE,
TITLED "ELECTRONIC REPORTING/PENALTIES," TO PROVIDE THAT
CANDIDATES WHO GIFT OR LOAN THEMSELVES AN AGGREGATE OF
FUNDS IN EXCESS OF ONE THOUSAND DOLLARS IN ANY MUNICIPAL
ELECTION BE REQUIRED TO FILE AND "AGED FUNDS" REPORT, UNDER
PENALTY OF PERJURY; PROVIDING EXCEPTION; CONTAINING A
SEVERABILITY CLAUSE; PROVIDING AN IMMEDIATE EFFECTIVE DATE.
SPONSOR(S): Commissioner Joe Carollo
WHEREAS, Chapter 16 of the Code of the City of Miami, Florida, as amended ("City
Code") provides the general requirements for reporting campaign contributions for elected office
in the City of Miami ("City"); and
WHEREAS, recognizing the importance of transparency in campaign finance, there is a
need to implement measures that ensure full disclosure of financial contributions, including
loans made by candidates to their own campaigns; and
WHEREAS, in pursuit of comprehensive campaign finance reform, it is imperative to
address the issue of "aged money" in the context of loans to self, whereby candidates may
strategically time the reporting of such loans to obscure the true financial picture of their
campaigns, necessitating clear regulations to ensure timely and accurate disclosure of all
financial transactions to the public and relevant authorities; and
WHEREAS, the City Commission finds that it is in the best interest of City residents to
increase the transparency of personal loans made to campaigns of candidates to elected office
in the City by amending Chapter 16, Article II of the City Code to provide for the disclosure of an
aged funds report for all personal loans in excess of one thousand dollars ($1,000.00);
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT ORDAINED BY THE COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF
MIAMI, FLORIDA:
Section 1. The recitals and findings contained in the Preamble to this Ordinance are
adopted by reference and incorporated as if fully set forth in this Section.
Section 2. Chapter 16/Article II of the City Code is amended in the following particulars:1
1 Words and/or figures stricken through shall be deleted. Underscored words and/or figures shall be
added. The remaining provisions are now in effect and remain unchanged. Asterisks indicate omitted and
unchanged material.
City of Miami Page 1 of 3 File ID: 15560 (Revision:) Printed On: 7/24/2025
File ID: 15560 Enactment Number:
"CHAPTER 16
ELECTIONS
ARTICLE II. ELECTRONIC REPORTING
Sec. 16-20. Electronic reporting/penalties.
(a) Each person, candidate, political committee, electioneering communications organization,
or other individual or organization required to file campaign treasurer's reports with the city
clerk in their official capacity as filing officer for the City of Miami ("city") pursuant to F.S.
ch. 106, shall file such reports by means of the city's electronic filing system beginning with
the campaign treasurer's report due on August 10, 2017.
(1) Any failure to file reports on the designated due date shall subject the violator to those
penalties provided in F.S. ch. 106.
(2) The city clerk shall determine the required format and related process for the
campaign treasurer's reports and shall provide copies of information upon request.
(b) Each candidate who gifts or loans themselves an aggregate of funds in excess of One
Thousand and 00/100 Dollars in any municipal election shall be required to file an aged
funds report with the City Clerk certifying, under the penalty of perjury, that the candidate
had said funds in the originating account for a minimum of four (4) months immediately
prior to the candidate making said gift or loan. If a candidate does not gift or loan
themselves an aggregate of funds in excess of One Thousand and 00/100 Dollars in any
municipal election, then said candidate shall not be required to submit an aged funds
report.
(1) The city clerk shall determine the required format and related process for the aged
funds reports and shall provide copies of information upon request.
(2) Aged funds reports shall have the same due date and cover the same reporting
period as campaign treasurer's reports. If a candidate has not gifted or loaned
themselves any aggregate or additional funds since its last report, then the candidate
shall not be required to submit another aged funds report.
(3) Any failure to file reports on the designated due date shall subject the violator to a
$500.00 fine.
(bc) Definitions.
Campaign treasurer's reports shall mean the campaign finance reports required to be filed
by each person, candidate, political committee, electioneering communications organization, or
other individual or organization, pursuant to F.S. ch. 106.
Person, candidate, political committee, and electioneering communications organization
shall have the meanings ascribed to such terms in F.S. ch. 106.
Sec. 16-21. Electronic posting.
Campaign treasurer reports electronically filed pursuant to this article shall be posted on
the city's website by the city clerk within three business days of any such report's electronic
filing date.
City of Miami Page 2 of 3 File ID: 15560 (Revision:) Printed on: 7/24/2025
File ID: 15560 Enactment Number:
Sec. 16-22. Technical assistance.
The city clerk shall provide technical assistance to those subject to the electronic filing
requirements set forth above. The city commission may, by resolution, establish a schedule of
fees for such technical assistance.
*„
Section 3. If any section, part of a section, paragraph, clause, phrase, or word of this
Ordinance is declared invalid, the remaining provisions of this Ordinance shall not be affected.
Section 4. This Ordinance shall become immediately after its adoption and signature of
the Mayor.2
APPROVED AS TO FORM AND CORRECTNESS:
ndez, ity Attor
ey 2/12/2024
2 This Ordinance shall become effective as specified herein unless vetoed by the Mayor within ten (10)
days from the date it was passed and adopted. If the Mayor vetoes this Ordinance, it shall become
effective immediately upon override of the veto by the City Commission or upon the effective date stated
herein, whichever is later.
City of Miami Page 3 of 3 File ID: 15560 (Revision:) Printed on: 7/24/2025