Akron, Ohio News Release...

MAYOR NAMES TASK FORCE ON CAMPAIGN FINANCE REVISION

(July 1, 1998) Mayor Don Plusquellic announced this afternoon that he will be creating a citizens' task force to study the issues of municipal campaign finance reform. Concerned with what he called "poorly thought out ideas" from a small group of "extremists," Mayor Plusquellic sought out a broad-based and highly credible group of citizens to give the matter more careful study. The Task Force will issue its findings to the Mayor and Akron City Council.

Not all potential members had confirmed their participation by the time of the Mayor's afternoon news conference, but those who have are:

• Chairman Richard Aynes- Dean of University of Akron School of Law

• Larry Vuilleman-attorney and president of Heart to Heart Communications

• John Green PhD-director of Bliss Institute of Applied Politics and a recognized expert on campaign finance issues

• Rabbi David Horowitz-Temple Israel

• Rev. Ronald Fowler-Arlington Church of God

• Joe Hutchinson-attorney and board member of Summit County Board of Elections

• Debby Eisinger-west side citizen active in public schools and various community organizations

• Jean Jordan-Annunciation Catholic Church

The Mayor said today, "I am very pleased with the caliber and composition of this group and with their willingness to take on this complex issue. I know they will give this matter their utmost attention and we can be confident and our citizens can rest assured their suggestions will be sound ones."

Mayor Plusquellic also said that campaign finance reform ideas must satisfy three tests. They must be constitutional, fair and practical. "We want to move the discussion," he said, "from finger pointing and baseless allegations to solutions and workable revision."

At the Mayor's request, the law department had already begun the process of studying the legal parameters of campaign finance several months ago. The law department's findings will provide the Task Force with an idea of what kind of latitude it will have when it begins its work.