Local government election campaigns should be self-funded or donations should be capped to avoid councillors feeling beholden to donors, the Gold Coast Mayor has told the Crime and Corruption Commission (CCC).

The CCC is looking at claims of candidate misconduct during the Gold Coast, Ipswich and Moreton Bay local government elections in 2016.

The public investigation was launched after complaints were made about independent candidates allegedly receiving funds from political parties and property developers.

Tom Tate told the hearing he funded his own election campaign last year, costing nearly $200,000, because it was less politically complicated.

"It makes it easier in your political life because you're not beholden to any donors and I will make my best decision on what's best for the Gold Coast," Mr Tate said.

"For me to be able to be an independent mayor and putting the city first without being beholden to anyone, I think it's a great thing if you can afford it."

When asked what system he would recommend for candidates who could not afford to self-fund their campaigns, he said restrictions on the amount of money that could be donated from any one source was a good idea.

"I would cap the donation from any group, meaning if you're a big developer or a big union the most you can give that candidate is $5,000 or whatever it is so you don't see a big union give $38,000 to a mayoral candidate because one would say 'hang on that's kind of a bit beholden to them'," he said.

"If we're going ahead with donations still, cap the donations that's allowable, there are a lot of smart people out there but I would group them so that, you know, you don't go start up another business, any commonality is a cap of $5,000 so to speak."

However Mr Tate admitted he broke electoral rules by not keeping a separate bank account for his campaign funds.

"It didn't serve any additional transparency in my opinion but I know that now and I'll take it as read that in a future campaign I would do it differently," he said.

Mr Tate said he was a lifetime member of the LNP but did not toe any party lines and always acted in the best interest of his constituents.

Candidate 'did not know details of donation from LNP fund'

Earlier in the day, Liberal staffer and unsuccessful Gold Coast Council election candidate Felicity Stevenson told the inquiry she did not pay attention to the source of her campaign funds and recently amended her declaration to make it clear that money had been donated from the LNP.

She told the commission she had worked for former Turnbull Government Minister Stuart Robert for 10 years as a personal assistant, media advisor and electoral officer, and took leave when she ran for the local elections last year.

It is alleged Mr Robert funnelled at least $60,000 out of the LNP fund known as the Fadden Forum, into the campaigns of his former staffers Kristyn Boulton and Ms Stevenson.

Ms Stevenson told the hearing she ran as an independent candidate and was not a member of the LNP at the time and only disclosed her connection to the LNP when directly asked by voters.

"I didn't necessarily feel it was relevant, my boss was going through some difficult times at that time and I suppose I felt that that may hinder my campaign actually more than help it," she said.

When questioned about $30,000 donated to her campaign from the Fadden Forum, Ms Stevenson said she knew Mr Robert helped facilitate her funds but she did not look at the details at the time.

Ms Stevenson told the CCC she amended her declaration form this year after receiving legal advice.