People running for Santa Fe City Council seats in 2012 will have the option of seeking private donations of up to $1,000 per donor, or receive public financing of $15,000 for their campaigns.

The new rules were adopted Wednesday in three heavily amended ordinances unanimously approved by the City Council.

Councilor Rosemary Romero, co-sponsor along with Mayor David Coss and Councilor Chris Calvert of the ordinance establishing campaign contribution limits, said she originally planned for the new law to apply to the 2010 mayoral race.

But, Romero said, she amended the bill so it would take effect in 2012 — when only council seats will be up — because people have already started raising money for next year's mayoral election.

Romero also amended her proposal to raise the amount of individual contributions to a mayoral candidate to $2,500 from $1,000. That limit would not apply until the mayoral election of 2014. In the last city election, some individual contributions went as high as $10,000.

Jim Harrington and Steve Allen of Common Cause New Mexico and Herb Cohen applauded the new contribution limits. But Russell Simon, who plans to run for the District 1 seat next year, said the new law might change things in ways the council did not intend. He said his grandmother's contribution in excess of the $1,000 limit has "freed me from going around the city" soliciting contributions from "people who want to buy influence."

A voluntary public-financing ordinance originally was introduced in 2005 by Councilor Matthew Ortiz, who said he was unable to find even a single co-sponsor at that time. He said he was pleased that the new proposal was co-sponsored by Coss and a majority of the eight councilors.

Harrington, Allen, Simon and Patricio Larragoite spoke in favor of public financing during the public-comment period, while Doug Nava, a District 1 City Council candidate who works for the state Taxation and Revenue Department, and Donado Coviello, who plans to run for the District 2 seat next year, spoke against it.

Nava said it was "absurd" to use taxpayer funds to finance political campaigns when tax revenues are running short for education and other basic needs. He suggested just capping the amount candidates could raise — something other speakers said had been deemed unconstitutional.

Coviello, also known as John Coventry, accused the council of "rigging" future elections, "strangling" democracy and "disempowering the people" with public financing. "Shame on you, mayor," he said. "You're the one who spent a quarter of a million dollars on your last election."

Coss later said his 2006 campaign expenditures totaled $144,000 and that he was outspent by his unsuccessful opponent David Shutz.

The new public-financing ordinance provides for qualifying council candidates to obtain up to $15,000 for their initial campaigns. If their opponents raise more than that through private contributions, the publicly financed candidates could obtain matching funds up to $45,000.

Mayoral candidates qualifying for public financing will receive up to $60,000 initially. If privately financed mayoral candidates raise more, the publicly financed candidate could obtain matching funds up to $180,000.

Like the limits on campaign contribution, the new public-financing ordinance was amended so that it does not go into effect until 2012. City Attorney Frank Katz said the delay gives the city more time to build up the necessary funds by appropriating about $150,000 a year. By 2014, when public financing would be available for the first mayoral race, even more money would be available in public financing.

Contact Tom Sharpe at 986-3080 or tsharpe@sfnewmexican.com.