1.09.010 NAME.

This chapter shall be known and may be cited as the "City of Anaheim Campaign Reform Law." (Ord. 5704 § 2 (part); October 19, 1999; Ord. 5858 § 1 (part); May 20, 2003.)

1.09.020 PURPOSE.

The purpose of this chapter is to ensure that the financial strength of certain individuals or organizations does not permit them to exercise a disproportionate or controlling influence on the election of city candidates. To achieve such purpose, this chapter is designed to reduce the influence of large contributions; to ensure that individuals and interest groups continue to have a fair and equal opportunity to participate in electing city candidates; to minimize the opportunity for, and the appearance or perception of, corruption; to prevent contributors from circumventing the contribution limits; and to maintain public trust in governmental institutions and the electoral process. (Ord. 5704 § 2 (part); October 19, 1999; Ord. 5858 § 1 (part); May 20, 2003.)

1.09.030 RELATION TO POLITICAL REFORM ACT OF 1974.

This chapter is intended to supplement the Political Reform Act of 1974. Unless a word or term is specifically defined in this chapter, or the contrary is stated or clearly appears from the context, words and terms used herein shall have the same meaning as defined or used in Title 9 of the California Government Code, in which the Political Reform Act of 1974 is codified, and as supplemented by the Regulations of the Fair Political Practices Commission as set forth in Title 2, Division 6 of the California Code of Regulation, as the same may be, from time to time, amended. (Ord. 5704 § 2 (part); October 19, 1999; Ord. 5858 § 1 (part); May 20, 2003.)

1.09.040 DEFINITIONS.

.010 Business Entity. “Business Entity” means proprietorship, firm, partnership, joint venture, syndicate, business trust, company, corporation, and limited liability company.

.020 City Candidate. “City candidate” means any person who is a candidate for member of the City Council or Mayor of the City of Anaheim or any elective city officer whether or not such officer is a candidate for reelection.

.030 City Election. “City election” means any general election, special election or recall election.

.040 City Office. “City office” shall mean either the office of Mayor or the office of City Council. The City Council seats which have terms which expire at the same general municipal election shall be deemed the same city office for purposes of this chapter.

.050 Election Cycle. “Election cycle” shall mean the applicable period as set forth in Section 1.09.060 of this chapter.

.060 Elective City Officer. “Elective city officer” means any person who is a member of the City Council, including the Mayor of the City of Anaheim, whether appointed or elected.

.070 Indebted Former Candidate. “Indebted former candidate” means a person, including an elective city officer, who was a candidate for a city office at any city election and who has campaign debt remaining from such election after expiration of the election cycle for the city office for which he or she was a candidate.

.080 Person. “Person” means an individual, proprietorship, firm, partnership, joint venture, syndicate, business trust, company, corporation, limited liability company, association, labor union, committee, and any other organization or group of persons acting in concert. (Ord. 5704 § 2 (part); October 19, 1999; Ord. 5858 § 1 (part); May 20, 2003: Ord. 6197 § 1; November 16, 2010.)

1.09.050 CONTRIBUTION LIMITATIONS.

.010 City Candidates. Except as provided in subsection .020 of this section, no person shall make, and no city candidate or treasurer of any controlled committee of any city candidate shall solicit or accept, any contributions which would cause the total amount contributed by such person to such candidate or his or her controlled committee to exceed the contribution limit set forth in subsection .050 of this section during any election cycle for any city office.

.020 Candidates with Outstanding Debt From Prior Election. No person shall make, and no indebted former candidate, or treasurer of any controlled committee of any indebted former candidate shall solicit or accept, any contributions for the purpose of retiring outstanding debt from a prior city election, which would cause the total amount contributed by such person to such indebted former candidate, or to his or her controlled committee, to exceed the contribution limit set forth in subsection .050 of this section for the election in which the outstanding debt was incurred, regardless of when the contribution(s) is made or received.

.030 Recall Elections. The contribution limit set forth in subsection.050 of this section shall not apply to any committee which collects contributions for the purpose of making expenditures in support of or opposition to the recall of an elective city officer, but shall apply to contributions received by such elective city officer and to candidates running to replace the elective city officer, during a recall election cycle as defined in Section 1.09.060 of this chapter.

.0301 In the event any recall effort fails, any funds remaining in the elective city officer’s recall account after all expenses associated with the proposed recall are discharged shall be disposed of by either of the following two methods:

.01 Repayment of the contributions on a “last in - first out” basis, or

.02 Donation to any bona fide charitable, educational, civic, religious, or similar tax-exempt nonprofit organization, where no substantial part of the proceeds will have material financial effect on the elective city officer, or any member of his or her immediate family, or his or her campaign treasure or campaign consultant.

.0302 In the event any recall effort fails, the recall account and committee shall be terminated within ninety (90) days of paying all expenses associated with the recall.

.040 Candidate’s Personal Funds. The provisions of this section shall not apply to a city candidate’s contribution of his or her personal funds to his or her own controlled committee. Contributions from community property owned jointly by a city candidate and his or her spouse shall be deemed contributions by the city candidate. Contributions by the spouse of a city candidate from such spouse’s separate property shall be subject to the contribution limitations set forth in subsection .050 of this section.

.050 Contribution Limit. The term ‘Contribution Limit’ as used in this chapter shall means as follows:

.0501 The Contribution Limit in effect for the period commencing on the effective date of this subsection through December 31, 2006, shall be one thousand five hundred dollars ($1,500).

.0502 The City Council shall, by ordinance, adjust the contribution limitations in January of odd-numbered years to reflect any cumulative increase or decrease in the Consumer Price Index for all urban consumers for the Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim Urban Area as announced by the United States Department of Labor since the last adjustment. Such adjustments shall be rounded off to the nearest hundred dollars for the limitations on contributions.

The City Clerk shall notify all candidates for city office of the amount of the Contribution Limit then in effect. (Ord. 5704 § 2 (part); October 19, 1999; Ord. 5835 § 1; October 29, 2002; Ord. 5858 § 1 (part); May 20, 2003; Ord. 5965 § 1; April 26, 2005; Ord. 6049 § 1: March 6, 2007: Ord. 6197 § 2; November 16, 2010; Ord. 6567 § 3; February 27, 2024.)

Disclaimer: This Code of Ordinances and/or any other documents that appear on this site may not reflect the most current legislation adopted by the Municipality. American Legal Publishing provides these documents for informational purposes only. These documents should not be relied upon as the definitive authority for local legislation. Additionally, the formatting and pagination of the posted documents varies from the formatting and pagination of the official copy. The official printed copy of a Code of Ordinances should be consulted prior to any action being taken. For further information regarding the official version of any of this Code of Ordinances or other documents posted on this site, please contact the Municipality directly or contact American Legal Publishing toll-free at 800-445-5588.

Hosted by: American Legal Publishing

Back to Code Library

Previous Doc

Next Doc