In a move to boost the financial transparency of Madison city elections, a new ordinance will provide voters with more information on candidates’ campaign funding sources.

The ordinance, which requires any IRS-recognized donors, including corporations and associations, to register donations with the city clerk and regularly update any contributions given toward those running for a political municipal seat.

Ald. Lisa Subeck, District 1, the main sponsor of the ordinance passed by City Council last Tuesday, said it would create more accountability from donors to elections and candidates, adding the ordinance is not likely to alter the amount of expenditures spent on elections.

“[It] won’t stop money from coming in, but it will require organizations to disclose their donors,” Subeck said.

She said citizens who receive mail from a political campaign should be able to look up who sponsored that campaign, making the elections more “fair and honest.”

“We want the election process to be as clean as possible and the public has the right to know who is influencing the course of the elections,” Subeck said.

Ald. Scott Resnick, District 8, said he supported the ordinance and was not surprised that it passed unanimously given the large gathering support it has received  from the public and the city.

“The reason there’s such great support for it is the immense public distrust of these private shadowy groups that run ads and campaigns and don’t reveal who they are or what their real motives are,” Resnick said.

He said the public has the right to know information about which groups are sponsoring a particular campaign because they might have a particular reason to finance a city race.

This is especially true in attack ads, he said, because voters should be able to know what groups are supporting a certain candidate over another.

“If an ad is put up attacking one candidate and supporting another, it could turn out the people paying for that ad have a financial interest in a particular city council position,” Resnick said. “People deserve to know that information.”

The ordinance was approved with an amendment to lower the proposed penalty for disobeying the ordinance from $1,000 to $500.

The ordinance also says it will reveal “who is supporting or opposing which candidate or cause and to what extent, whether directly or indirectly.”

Subeck said City Council did a great thing by supporting a bill that would allow for more honest, clean elections.