HomeMy WebLinkAbout2003-10-14 - AGENDA REPORTS - CAMPAIGN CONTRIBUTION LIMITS (2)CONSENT CALENDAR
DATE:
SUBJECT:
DEPARTMENT:
Agenda Item: Z
CITY OF SANTA CLARITA
AGENDA REPORT
City Manager Approval:
Item to be presented by:
October 14, 2003
Councilmember erry
CAMPAIGN CONTRIBUTION LIMITATIONS AND
DISCLOSURE
City Manager
RECOMMENDED ACTION
City Council conduct second reading and adopt an ordinance entitled: AN ORDINANCE OF
THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SANTA CLARITA, CALIFORNIA, AMENDING
SANTA CLARITA MUNICIPAL CODE CHAPTER 7.02, CAMPAIGN CONTRIBUTION
LIMITATIONS AND DISCLOSURE.
BACKGROUND
On July 8, 2003 the City Council reviewed Santa Clarita Municipal Code Chapter 7.02 relating to
campaign contribution limitations and disclosure requirements. The Council, for purposes of
discussion, directed staff to return after the summer hiatus with proposed revisions to the
municipal code. At the regular meeting of September 23, 2003, the City Council introduced and
passed to second reading an ordinance amending Santa Clarita Municipal Code Chapter 7.02.
Existing state law outlines campaign contribution and disclosure requirements which candidates
for state and local elective office must comply. Local jurisdictions may enact ordinances which
are more restrictive than state law for elective office of the particular local jurisdiction. For
example, the Santa Clarita City Council may enact more stringent regulations for candidates
seeking City Council seats but not for any other jurisdiction. In the absence of more restrictive
campaign contribution and disclosure measures enacted by a local jurisdiction, state law shall
prevail as the governing regulations.
In 1992, the City Council enacted campaign contribution limitations and disclosure requirements
more stringent than those required under the California Political Reform Act. Under state law,
Adopted: 16 03 -I 3�
contributors may give an unlimited amount to local candidates for elective public office.
Furthermore, state law requires the specific itemized disclosure by contributor of campaign
contributions of $100 or more and also permits individuals to make anonymous contributions
totaling less than $100 per year.
The Santa Clarita Municipal code, as contained in Chapter 7.02, presently permits individual
contributions of up to $250 per election contest. The municipal code also provides for
candidates to itemize on disclosure forms the names, addresses and employers of individuals who
contribute $50 or more. The local code also allows individual anonymous contributions of $50,
but limits campaigns to receiving a maximum of $200 in anonymous contributions.
At the regular meeting of September 23, 2003, the City Council received testimony regarding
changes to the existing ordinance. Based upon the public testimony, the Council introduced and
passed to second reading an ordinance amending Santa Clarita Municipal Code Chapter 7.02.
The Council included the following provisions in the ordinance:
1. The individual limit of $250 will be raised to $360 per election contest. This would still be
more restrictive than state law provides and more restrictive than all other local political
jurisdictions within the Santa Clarita Valley.
2. The threshold for itemizing contributions on campaign reports will be increased from $50 to
$100 in conformance with state law and generally accepted practice.
3. Individual, anonymous contributions (meaning the identity of the donor is unknown to the
recipient) will be increased from $50 to $100, in keeping with state law. However, the existing,
more restrictive than state law, Santa Clarita Municipal Code requirement limiting overall
anonymous contributions to a maximum of $200 would be retained.
The proposed ordinance is before the City Council for second reading and adoption. The
effective date of an ordinance is 30 days after adoption.
ALTERNATIVE ACTIONS
1. Amend Santa Clarita Municipal Code Chapter 7.02 campaign contribution limitations and
disclosure requirements to amounts other than proposed in the draft ordinance. This action voids
the second reading status of the ordinance and constitutes a new first reading of the proposed
ordinance.
2. Do not conduct a second reading and adoption of the proposed ordinance and maintain the
existing municipal code provisions.
3. Other direction as determined by the City Council.
FISCAL IMPACT
All City Attorney, City Clerk, and other staff time plus collateral materials resulting from
changes to the Santa Clarita Municipal Code, as outlined in this agenda item, are contained
within the adopted 2003/04 City Budget and will not require additional fiscal resources.
ATTACHMENTS
Ordinance