Following the money trail that leads toward candidates in county, state and federal elections is something that can be accomplished with relative ease.

That’s not the case, however, with candidates vying for City Council seats in Muskogee — at least not any more. In order to find out who’s contributing to a municipal campaign here, one must rely on a candidate’s willingness to volunteer the information.

In this year’s mayoral race, only one candidate, John Tyler Hammons disclosed campaign contributions. He said his decision to disclose represents his commitment to open and transparent government.

“I promised to be open and transparent and honest with people, and that’s what I’ve done,” Hammons said. “If I say it, I am going to do it. I think very much that this proves I am committed to what I stand for.”

Hammons’ opponent, former Mayor Hershel McBride, declined to disclose his donor list or his campaign’s financial records. McBride, however, said his campaign for the slate of five candidates vying for City Council positions has raised “a little more than $15,000 this election cycle.”

“I started out telling people we didn’t have to report our contributions,” McBride said. “There are just too many of them (contributors) to have to go back and tell them any different.”

Candidates vying for Muskogee City Council seats didn’t always have the power to opt out of campaign contribution disclosure.

In 2001, city officials passed an ordinance that limited campaign contributions and required candidates to report those contributions. The ordinance, which mirrored the language of the Oklahoma’s Political Subdivisions Ethics Act, was passed after city officials learned that law applied to — but had not been enforced for — municipal ballot issues.

Candidates vying for City Council seats in 2002 mostly complied with the reporting requirements, but some confusion about enforcement resulted with the ordinance being repealed in January 2003.

“Since the city clerk is unable to enforce any violations to the ordinance, it is recommended to repeal the Election Ethics Ordinance,” former City Attorney Steve Cousparis is quoted as saying in the minutes of the Jan. 7, 2003, Public Works Committee meeting.

Marilyn Hughes, executive director of the Oklahoma Ethics Commission, said the state law applies only to candidates required to file with the county election board.

Because municipal candidates in Muskogee are required only to file with the city clerk, Hughes said, there is no legal authority requiring Muskogee municipal candidates to disclose campaign contributions.

McBride, who was serving as mayor when the City Council approved and later repealed the city’s election ethics laws, said the City Council felt like it wasn’t necessary to put everybody through” the reporting requirements.

“Most of them are friends and family,” McBride said of contributors to City Council candidates. “Most of them are just contributing to help — they’re not really wanting anything. People who donate to me just want to see good government.”