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Alhambra Overview
Alhambra, California Code of Ordinances
Alhambra, California Code of Ordinances
CHARTER
TABLE OF CONTENTS
ARTICLE I. NAME AND RIGHTS OF CITY
ARTICLE II. BOUNDARIES AND DISTRICTS OF CITY
ARTICLE III. GENERAL PROVISIONS RELATING TO OFFICERS
ARTICLE IV. MAYOR
ARTICLE V. EXECUTIVE AND ADMINISTRATIVE DEPARTMENTS
ARTICLE VI. THE COUNCIL
ARTICLE VII. POWERS OF THE CITY AND THE COUNCIL
ARTICLE VIII. CITY CLERK
ARTICLE IX. CITY ATTORNEY
ARTICLE X. DIRECTOR OF FINANCE AND EX OFFICIO CITY TREASURER, ASSESSOR AND TAX AND LICENSE COLLECTOR
ARTICLE XI. POLICE COURT
ARTICLE XII. CITY MANAGER
ARTICLE XIII. POLICE, FIRE AND HEALTH DIVISIONS
ARTICLE XIV. BOARD OF EDUCATION
ARTICLE XV. PUBLIC LIBRARY
ARTICLE XVI. ALCOHOLIC LIQUORS
ARTICLE XVII. ELECTIONS
SEC. 101A. ALHAMBRA CAMPAIGN FINANCE REFORM - PURPOSE AND INTENT.
SEC. 101B. DEFINITIONS.
SEC. 101C. CAMPAIGN CONTRIBUTION LIMITATIONS.
SEC. 101D. LOANS.
SEC. 101E. ONE CAMPAIGN COMMITTEE AND ONE CHECKING ACCOUNT PER CANDIDATE.
SEC. 101F. TRANSFERS.
SEC. 101G. AGGREGATION OF PAYMENTS.
SEC. 101H. ASSUMED NAME CONTRIBUTIONS.
SEC. 101I. OMITTED.
SEC. 101J. UNEXPENDED CONTRIBUTION.
SEC. 101K. INCREASED TRANSPARENCY.
SEC. 101L. RETURN OF EXCESSIVE CONTRIBUTIONS.
SEC. 101M. CITY CLERK RESPONSIBILITIES.
SEC. 101N. CRIMINAL MISDEMEANOR ACTIONS.
SEC. 101O. OMITTED.
SEC. 101P. CIVIL ACTIONS.
SEC. 101Q. INJUNCTIVE RELIEF.
SEC. 102. OMITTED.
SEC. 103. THREE KINDS OF CITY ELECTIONS DESIGNATED.
SEC. 104. WHEN GENERAL ELECTIONS ARE HELD; WHEN ELECTED OFFICERS SHALL TAKE OFFICE.
SEC. 105. WHEN SPECIAL ELECTIONS SHALL BE HELD; METHOD OF CONDUCTING AND DECLARING RESULTS OF SPECIAL ELECTIONS.
SEC. 106. APPLICATION OF GENERAL STATE LAW GOVERNING FIFTH AND SIXTH CLASS CITY ELECTIONS.
SEC. 107. NOMINATIONS TO ACCORD WITH STATE LAW; SIGNATURES REQUIRED ON NOMINATING CERTIFICATES; WHEN NOMINATING CERTIFICATES TO BE FILED.
SEC. 107A. CANDIDATE TO SIGN DECLARATION OF INTENTION.
SEC. 108. PETITION REQUESTING PRIMARY ELECTION; WHEN PRIMARY ELECTION SHALL BE CALLED.
SEC. 109. WHEN PRIMARY ELECTIONS SHALL BE HELD; OFFICERS, POLLING HOURS AND NAMES APPEARING ON BALLOTS OF PRIMARY ELECTIONS.
SEC. 110. PRIMARY BALLOTS GENERALLY - PUBLICATION OR POSTING OF NAMES AND OFFICES APPEARING THEREON.
SEC. 111. SAME - PRINTING; CAPTION; ARRANGEMENT OF NAMES; PARTY, SUPPORT OF CANDIDATES, ETC., NOT TO BE INDICATED.
SEC. 112. SAME - TO CONTAIN BLANK SPACES FOR WRITING IN NAMES; WRITTEN IN NAMES NOT TO BE CROSSED.
SEC. 113. DESIGNATION OF CANDIDATES TO FILL VACANCIES OR SERVE UNEXPIRED TERMS.
SEC. 114. TWO CANDIDATES RECEIVING HIGHEST NUMBER OF VOTES AT PRIMARY TO BE PLACED ON GENERAL ELECTION BALLOT; EXCEPTION.
SEC. 115. FORM OF GENERAL ELECTION BALLOT.
SEC. 116. COUNCIL TO PROVIDE FOR CONDUCT, ETC., OF ELECTIONS; ELECTION PRECINCTS.
SEC. 116A. BALLOT ARGUMENTS CONCERNING CITY MEASURES.
SEC. 117. COMPENSATION OF ELECTION OFFICERS.
SEC. 118. ELECTION RETURNS GENERALLY.
SEC. 119. WHEN RETURNS SHALL BE CANVASSED; DECLARATION OF RESULT.
SEC. 120. REPEALED.
ARTICLE XVIII. FINANCE
ARTICLE XIX. CONTRACTS
ARTICLE XX. STREETS AND SEWERS
ARTICLE XXI. FRANCHISES
ARTICLE XXII. RECALL
ARTICLE XXIII. INITIATIVE
ARTICLE XXIV. REFERENDUM
ARTICLE XXIVa. CIVIL SERVICE
ARTICLE XXV. MISCELLANEOUS
ARTICLE XXVI. STATE EMPLOYEES' RETIREMENT ACT
TITLE I: GENERAL PROVISIONS
TITLE II: ADMINISTRATION AND PERSONNEL
TITLE III: FINANCE
TITLE IV: FRANCHISES
TITLE V: BUSINESS LICENSES AND REGULATIONS
TITLE VI: HEALTH AND SANITATION
TITLE VII: ANIMALS
TITLE VIII: ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT REVENUE BOND LAW
TITLE IX: PUBLIC PEACE AND SAFETY
TITLE X: BICYCLES
TITLE XI: VEHICLES AND TRAFFIC
TITLE XII: PARKING LOTS
TITLE XIII: STREETS AND SIDEWALKS
TITLE XIV: PARKS AND PUBLIC GROUNDS
TITLE XV: WATER
TITLE XVI: SEWERS
TITLE XVII: INDUSTRIAL WASTE
TITLE XVIII: COMMUNITY NOISE AND VIBRATION CONTROL
TITLE XIX: FIRE
TITLE XX: BUILDING AND CONSTRUCTION
TITLE XXI: OIL AND GAS WELLS
TITLE XXII: SUBDIVISIONS
TITLE XXIII: ZONING
TITLE XXIV: SOLAR ENERGY
TABLE OF SPECIAL ORDINANCES
PARALLEL REFERENCES
ARTICLE XVII. ELECTIONS
SEC. 101A. ALHAMBRA CAMPAIGN FINANCE REFORM - PURPOSE AND INTENT.
   A.   Increasingly high campaign expenditures have become endemic in American politics, and campaigns in the City of Alhambra are no exception. Incidental to the high cost of election campaigning is the problem of improper influence, real, potential, or perceived, campaign contributions may have in local elections and policy making.
   B.   Equal and fair representation is paramount to democracy. A by-district electoral system helps to ensure compliance with the California Voting Rights Act and that all city residents are fairly and equally represented by councilpersons of their districts. Such a system is intended to preserve democratic institutions, foster responsible government, decrease the cost of running an effective City Council campaign and subsequently money’s influence in politics, and encourage greater electorate participation in the political and governmental process.
   C.   It is the purpose and intent of this legislation to:
      1.   Place realistic and enforceable limits on the amounts persons and other entities may contribute to political campaigns in Alhambra municipal elections;
      2.   Ensure and promote integrity, honesty, fairness, and transparency in municipal election campaigns;
      3.   Provide opportunity for all citizens to become candidates for city office unhindered by a need to meet increasingly high campaign costs;
      4.   Prevent impropriety, the appearance of impropriety, or the potential for corruption;
      5.   Place a premium on messaging, qualifications, and good governance rather than fundraising and power politics;
      6.   Alleviate the time, financial burden, and need for excessive fundraising while running for City Council by limiting both the geographic area in which candidates need to campaign and the number of voters which candidates need to reach, thereby emphasizing issues of importance to their constituents;
      7.   Better ensure that the demographic makeup of the city will be more equally and fairly represented by their elected leaders;
      8.   Incentivize councilpersons elected from their districts to better represent the residents of their districts;
      9.   Eliminate district vote dilution;
      10.   Diminish the possibility that a minority group would face dilution of their votes;
      11.   Encourage more candidates to run for City Council by removing monetary barriers, thus fostering more competitive elections;
      12.   Provide full and fair enforcement of all the provisions of this article.
SEC. 101B. DEFINITIONS.
   A.   For the purpose of this article, certain words and phrases are defined, and the definitions set forth as follows shall apply to the provisions of this article unless it is apparent from the context that a different meaning is necessarily intended.
      1.   “By-district” shall mean election of members of the Alhambra City Council by voters of the district alone.
      2.   “Candidate” means any person who is a candidate for an elected city office or who is an elected city official and who is the subject of recall election, or who receives contributions or makes an expenditure or gives his or her consent for any other person to receive a contribution or make an expenditure with a view to bringing about his or her nomination or election to city office, whether or not the specific elective office for which he or she will seek nomination or election is known at the time the contribution is received or the expenditure is made and whether or not he or she has announced his or her candidacy or filed a declaration of candidacy at such time. An individual who becomes a city candidate shall retain his or her status as a city candidate until such time as that status is terminated pursuant to Cal. Gov’t Code § 84214. “Candidate” does not include: (1) any person within the meaning of 52 U.S.C.A. § 30101(2); and (2) any candidate for the Alhambra Board of Education.
      3.   “City” means the City of Alhambra, a California municipal corporation.
      4.   “City Clerk” shall mean the duly appointed City Clerk, along with any person serving as acting or interim City Clerk, and any member of the City Clerk’s office staff or designee.
      5.   “City Council” shall mean the elected governing body of the City of Alhambra as defined in Article VI, Section 37 of the Alhambra City Charter.
      6.   “Committee” means any person or combination of persons formed for the purpose of promoting or opposing the election or reelection of a person to city elected office who directly or indirectly, (i) receives contributions, or (ii) makes independent expenditures or (iii) makes contributions at the behest of any city candidate within the meaning of Cal. Gov’t Code § 82013. A campaign committee includes any “Controlled Committee” within the meaning of Cal. Gov’t Code § 82016, any “General Purpose Committee” within the meaning of Cal. Gov’t Code § 82027.5, any “Primarily Formed Committee” within the meaning of Cal. Gov’t Code § 82047.5, any “Sponsored Committee” within the meaning of Cal. Gov’t Code § 82048.7, or political action committee.
      7.   “Contractor” shall mean any person or entity that has an existing contract, agreement, or other arrangement to provide the city with goods, services, or other items, or who has an interest in or expectation of obtaining such a contractual arrangement in the future. The term shall include any agent or representative of the contractor and where the contractor is a business entity shall include all owners, shareholders, principals, partners, members, officers, directors, and managers.
      8.   “Contribution” shall have the same meaning as set forth under Cal. Gov’t Code § 82015.
      9.   “Councilperson” shall mean a member of the City Council.
      10.   “Developer” shall mean any person or entity who is currently seeking, or who has an interest in or expectation of seeking from the city a specific plan, zone change, development agreement, density bonus, subdivision tract map, conditional use permit, or an industrial or commercial use having a building area of 20,000 square feet or more. The term shall include any agent or representative of the developer and where the developer is a business entity shall include all owners, shareholders, principals, partners, members, officers, directors, and managers.
      11.   “District” shall mean a geographic area of representation created for the puipose of municipal elections pursuant to state law.
      12.   “Election” means any primary, general or special municipal election held in the city, including a recall election.
      13.   “Excessive Contribution” means any contribution accepted that would cause the total amount of contributions from a single donor to exceed the contribution limitations set forth in this article.
      14.   “Independent Expenditure” shall have the same meaning as set forth under Cal. Gov’t Code § 82031.
      15.   “Loan” means the temporary transfer of money or goods for the personal use of an individual with the exception that the money or goods will be returned.
      16.   “Officeholder” shall mean any person who holds elected office in the City of Alhambra.
      17.   “Person” shall have the same meaning as set forth under Cal. Gov’t Code § 82047.
      18.   “Political Action Committee” refers to any committee or organization as defined in Cal. Gov’t Code §§ 82048.7 or 84222.
      19.   “Political Reform Act” means the California Political Reform Act of 1974 (Cal. Gov’t Code §§ 81000 et seq.) and the related regulations of the California Fair Political Practices Commission as amended from time to time.
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