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ARTICLE VI. CAMPAIGN FINANCE REFORMS
SEC. 2-240. PURPOSE.
The purpose of this article is to advance compelling city interests by limiting large contributions from single sources to candidates for mayor, members of city council, city clerk and city treasurer, and by imposing reporting and accounting procedures for local campaigns. The city’s interests are to provide a representative government which is accessible to all citizens, to deter corruption and the appearance of corruption caused by the coercive influence of large financial contributions on candidates’ positions, and to inform the electorate as to the sources and uses of political contributions.
(Ord. No. 2976)
For the purposes of this article, unless the contrary is stated or clearly appears from the context, the definitions set forth in Chapter 2 of Title 9 of the Cal. Gov’t Code (commencing at Section 82000) shall govern the construction, meaning, and application of words and phrases used in this article.
(Ord. No. 2976)
(A) Contributions. No person shall make, and no candidate for elective office or campaign treasurer shall solicit or accept, any contribution which would cause the total amount contributed by that person to that candidate, including contributions or loans to all political committees or broad-based political committees controlled by the candidate and in-kind contributions, to exceed $500 for any election. No political action committee shall make, and no candidate for elective office, or campaign treasurer, shall solicit or accept any contribution which would cause the total amount contributed by that political action committee to that candidate, including contributions or loans to all political committees or broad-based political committees controlled by the candidate and in-kind contributions, to exceed $1,000 for any election. For purposes of section 2-243 a “political action committee” shall mean any “general purpose committee” or “city general purpose committee” as those terms are defined by Cal. Gov’t Code, Section 82027.5. The limits set forth in this subsection shall be adjusted every two years by resolution of the city council pursuant to section 2-245.
(B) Loans. No person shall make, and no candidate for elective office or campaign treasurer shall solicit or accept, any loan which would cause the candidate, including loans to all political committees or broad-based political committees controlled by the candidate, to exceed $500 for any election. The limit set forth in this subsection shall be adjusted every two years by resolution of the city council pursuant to section 2-245.
(C) Anonymous contributions. No person shall make an anonymous contribution or contributions to a candidate, political committee or broad-based political committee or any other person totaling $100 or more for any election period. An anonymous contribution of $100 or more received by a candidate or such a committee shall not be kept by the intended recipient, but instead shall be paid promptly to the California Secretary of State for deposit in the general fund of the State. This limit on single source anonymous contributions shall not be adjusted except for relevant changes in State law.
(D) Extension of credit. No person shall extend credit, and no candidate for elective office, or campaign treasurer, or political committee or broad-based political committee controlled by the candidate shall solicit or accept, any extension of credit which will extend beyond 90 days from the date upon which the debt is incurred by the candidate, or political committee controlled by the candidate.
(Ord. No. 2976)
(A) Contributions. No person shall make, and no candidate for elective office or campaign treasurer shall solicit or accept, any contribution which would cause the total amount contributed by that person to that candidate, including contributions or loans to all political committees or broad-based political committees controlled by the candidate and in-kind contributions, to exceed $750 for any election. No political action committee shall make, and no candidate for elective office, or campaign treasurer, shall solicit or accept any contribution which would cause the total amount contributed by that political action committee to that candidate, including contributions or loans to all political committees or broad-based political committees controlled by the candidate and in-kind contributions, to exceed $1,500 for any election. For purposes of section 2-244 a “political action committee” shall mean any “general purpose committee” or “city general purpose committee” as those terms are defined by Cal. Gov’t Code, Section 82027.5. The limit set forth in this subsection shall be adjusted every two years by resolution of the city council pursuant to section 2-245.
(B) Loans. No person shall make, and no candidate for elective office, or campaign treasurer, shall solicit or accept any loan which would cause the candidate, including loans to all political committees or broad-based political committees controlled by the candidate, to exceed $500 for any election. The limit set forth in this subsection shall be adjusted every two years by resolution of the city council pursuant to section 2-245.
(C) Anonymous contributions. No person shall make an anonymous contribution or contributions to a candidate, political committee or broad-based political committee or any other person totaling $100 or more for any election period. An anonymous contribution of $100 or more received by a candidate or such a committee shall not be kept by the intended recipient, but instead shall be paid promptly to the California Secretary of State for deposit in the general fund of the State. This limit on single source anonymous contributions shall not be adjusted except for relevant changes in State law.
(D) Extension of credit. No person shall extend credit, and no candidate for elective office, or campaign treasurer, or political committee or broad-based political committee controlled by the candidate shall solicit or accept, any extension of credit which will extend beyond 90 days from the date upon which the debt is incurred by the candidate, or political committee controlled by the candidate.
(Ord. No. 2976)
(A) Adjustment. The campaign contribution limits and loan limits set forth in sections 2-243 and 2-244, shall be adjusted by the city in February at two year intervals beginning in 2023 to reflect annual changes in the consumer price index (CPI) over the previous two-year period. The city clerk shall use the annual percent change in the consumer price index for all urban consumers (CPI-U) for the selected area that includes Ventura County to determine the appropriate rate of increase. The city clerk shall compute the adjustment for each year separately, adding the adjustment for each year to the prior year’s limit. The city clerk shall then adjust the total amount for the two-year period as specified in subsection (B). The new limit representing the rounded total adjustments for the previous two-year period shall be presented to the city council for approval by resolution.
(B) If the last two digits of the total adjusted limit under subsection (A) for the two-year period is a number between one and 49, then the limit shall be rounded down to the next lowest multiple of 100. If the last two digits of the total adjusted limit for the two-year period is a number between 50 and 99, then the limit shall be rounded up to the next highest multiple of 100.
(Ord. No. 2976)
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