When Anne Arundel County Council member Julie Hummer cast the deciding vote in June to slash more than $1 million proposed for the county’s new public campaign financing fund, she pledged to add money later.

But it turns out she and her fellow lawmakers — and the county executive — didn’t have the legal authority to do so, at least not outside of the regular budget cycle.

The council unanimously passed legislation Monday night that Hummer, a Democrat, introduced to change that. Her bill gives the county executive the authority to ask the legislative body to add money to the public campaign financing fund. It also requires the county auditor to formally review the use of funds after each election.

“It’s just a good bill that strengthens the program,” Hummer told The Banner.

The legislation had the support of County Executive Steuart Pittman, a Democrat who objected to the council’s decision to slash the $1.5 million he proposed for the fund to $250,000. The bipartisan Public Campaign Financing System Commission, which recommended $1.5 million and likewise objected to the budget cut, largely approved of Hummer’s bill.

While the commission was disappointed by the budget cut, Chair Spencer Dixon said in an interview that it was “grateful” Hummer upheld her commitment.

Not all agreed.

Several people testifying at the bill’s public hearing last month accused council members of putting themselves in the position of “foxes guarding the henhouse.”

“It’s too late. No bill introduced after June’s vote will ever be able to be apolitical,” said Rebecca Forte, a Severna Park resident who served on the public campaign finance commission but resigned when the council slashed the funding level it recommended.

Phil Ateto, of Annapolis, called the council’s June budget vote “a slap in the face to all of us.”

“Underfunding the fund equals politicizing the fund equals poisoning the fund,” Ateto testified. “There’s no way to go back.”

Debate over public campaign financing in Anne Arundel dates to 2023, when, at Pittman’s request, the council passed legislation creating the public campaign financing system.

Morgan Drayton, policy and engagement manager for the advocacy group Common Cause Maryland, believes public campaign financing benefits democracy. Such programs, she said, forbid those using them from taking big money from corporations and political action committees, instead forcing the candidates to focus on winning the support of regular people.

“We see more women, more people of color running. I think we’ve seen more parents running,” Drayton said. “Overall we see more candidates have conversations within their communities, talking to their constituents rather than those corporate owners or super PACs.”

Common Cause Maryland supported establishing the public campaign financing program.

When the council created the fund, it also voted to establish a bipartisan commission to estimate how much the county should invest each year.

After studying counties with public campaign finance systems and Anne Arundel’s past elections, the commission recommended $1.5 million for fiscal year 2026.

Pittman obliged, including that amount in his budget proposal this year.

But the council’s three Republican members proposed an amendment reducing the $1.5 million request to $250,000, leaving the balance to spend on law enforcement, education and libraries while state and federal funding was in flux due to Maryland’s budget crunch and President Donald Trump’s government overhaul.

Hummer voted with them and the amendment passed.

“I was very vocal about my disappointment when the Council rejected the bipartisan Public Campaign Financing System Commission funding recommendation, but I appreciate the fact that this bill allows additional funding to be allocated,” Pittman said in a statement.

Two candidates are using the fund — James Kitchin, special assistant to Pittman, who is running to succeed his boss, and Scott MacMullan, who is running for county council.

When the council cut money for the fund, Kitchin, whom Pittman endorsed, suggested the move was politically motivated.

Hummer, who endorsed council member and close ally Allison Pickard’s run for county executive, rejected that her vote was political, promising to add money later as necessary and saying the $1.25 million could be better spent during an unprecedented budget cycle.

In a statement Monday night, Kitchin said June’s budget vote “sent the wrong message to potential candidates,” but he thanked Hummer for “keeping her word.”

“While that harm cannot be reversed, I am hopeful that this bill begins the process of rebuilding some of the trust that was lost,” Kitchin said. “I further hope that the Council quickly passes any new appropriation bill to restore funding to this program if one were to be introduced.”

Pittman said he supports adding more money to the fund, which already holds $1.25 million.

The program promises to match up to $750,000 for county executive candidates and $125,000 for County Council candidates. In order to qualify for such funds, candidates must meet threshold requirements for the number of donations and overall money raised on their own.

“I believe that voters are fed up with big money driving political campaigns and want the option of voting for candidates who run small-donor campaigns,” Pittman said. “By fully funding the program, we will attract more candidates to participate.”

This article has been updated to correct that two Anne Arundel County candidates plan to use the public campaign finance fund.