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GOVERNMENT ADVERTISING
Here is the Texas statute. I suspect every state has a similar one.
§ 255.003. UNLAWFUL USE OF PUBLIC FUNDS FOR POLITICAL
ADVERTISING[0]. (a) An officer or employee of a political
subdivision may not spend or authorize the spending of public funds
for political advertising[0].
(b) This section does not apply to a communication that
factually describes the purposes of a measure if the communication
does not advocate passage or defeat of the measure.
(c) A person who violates this section commits an offense.
An offense under this section is a Class A misdemeanor.
Amended by Acts 1987, 70th Leg., ch. 899, § 1, eff. Sept. 1,
1987.
The way that these types of statutes are usually interpreted/applied is that a political subdivision may advertise a service it offers but only after the service is in place. It cannot use public funds to stear people in any way toward voting or otherwise supporting the passage of the service, which in the case of a local agency here in Texas, their so called "factual" TV commercials absolutely do.
Have fun with it.
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