Under new rules the City Council will vote on tonight, candidates and office-holders could not use campaign contributions for their personal use. But if they can relate their spending to campaigns or their official duties - including giving cash to other candidates or nonprofits or bringing guests to political functions - spend away.

If approved, the ordinance would match federal law; it would be more restrictive than state guidelines.

"It wasn't about [addressing] specific abuses - it was about potential abuses," said Council Chairman Dale Lambert. "It takes away the incentive to raise huge war chests if you don't need it, because you can't personally benefit from it."

He asked city attorneys to look into the ban, but not because of recent debate over how former Salt Lake County Mayor Nancy Workman can spend the $174,873 she has left after dropping out of the race for county mayor last year.

While the county also bans personal use of campaign contributions, officials there don't know if Workman broke the law when she deposited the money in her personal account because she no longer was a candidate.

Under the Salt Lake City proposal, personal use would be banned even for people who have left office.

Lambert wants to avoid problems once seen at the federal level, where politicians could raise millions, retire from office and use the excess on whatever they wanted.

Salt Lake City Mayor Rocky Anderson has $16,660 left over from his 2003 re-election run. He said he hasn't decided if he will seek a third term, but he supports the council's ban. "I've always thought it was outrageous when people use their campaign funds for their own savings account. That's not why people contribute to campaigns."

Looking at Salt Lake City officials' past campaign-finance reports, it appears all expenditures were for political purposes, from paying for pizza for campaign volunteers, to donating to other candidates, to paying for hotel rooms at the national Republican convention.

Anthony Musci, chair of the watchdog group Common Cause of Utah, said abuses don't happen much on the city level because city candidates raise less money. But he was still happy to hear Salt Lake City was poised to approve the ban.

However, he questions the language allowing city candidates to use the money to bring guests to social functions.

While that section is meant to allow candidates to pay for their spouses or significant others out of campaign contributions, it could allow them to bring lobbyists, which Musci says is inappropriate.

And he opposes another change that appears to require candidates to report donations and expenditures only during campaign years.

Musci said the city should continue to require annual filings.

hmay@sltrib.com