HomeMy WebLinkAboutMINUTES - 12131988 - IO.1 Te. '" ' BOARD OF SUPERVISORS I . 0. 1
FROM: INTERNAL OPERATIONS COMMITTEE COtItra
December 12, 1988 C )sta
DATE: Co "J
SUBJECT: ELECTION CAMPAIGN ORDINANCE
SPECIFIC REQUEST(S) OR RECOMMENDATION(S) & BACKGROUND Alm JUSTIFICATION
RECOMMENDATIONS:
1 . Request County Counsel to prepare and forward to the Board
of Supervisors for introduction on January 10, 1989 an
ordinance which accomplishes the following:
A. Limits campaign contributions from individuals and
businesses to $225 per calendar year in all years
except the year in which an office is up for election.
B. Limits campaign contributions from individuals and
businesses to $1000 per calendar year in the year in
which the office is up for election, divided so that
there is a limit of $500 for the period from January 1
through 'June 30 of that year and $500 from July 1
through December 31 of that year.
C. Limits contributions from each political action
committee (PAC) which may be accepted by a candidate to
$5000 per fiscal year as is provided for in State law
and which further limits the total contributions which
may be received by a candidate from all PAC' s to
$25,000 for a four-year election cycle.
D. Incorporates into the Fair Campaign Pledge a voluntary
campaign expenditure limit of $150,000 per election.
E. Exempts a candidate for office from the voluntary
campaign expenditure limit if the candidate' s opponent
exceeds that limit, or if any third party committee
provides campaign funds to either oppose the candidate
or to support the candidate' s opponent.
2. Request the County Administrator to advise the Board of
Supervisors of any change in State Law which conforms
current State Law on the time periods for reporting campaign
expenditures (calendar year) to the time period controlling
contribution limits in Proposition 73 (fiscal year) so the
Board of Supervisors can consider any changes which may be
required in the County' s ordinance at that time.
CONTINUED ON ATTACHMENT: - YES SIGNATURE:
_ RECOMMENDATION OF COUNTY. ADMINISTRATOR X RECOMMENDATION OF BOARD COMMITTEE
X APPROVE OTHER
SIGNATURE(Sl: Sunne W. McPeak Tom Torlakson
ACTION OF BOARD ON December 13, 1988 APPROVED AS RECOMMENDED X OTHER
VOTE OF SUPERVISORS
1 HEREBY CERTIFY THAT THIS IS A TRUE
X UNANIMOUS (ABSENT AND CORRECT COPY OF AN ACTION TAKEN
AYES: NOES: AND ENTERED ON THE MINUTES OF THE BOARD
ABSENT: ABSTAIN: OF SUPERVISORS ON THE DATE SHOWN.
County Administrator ATTESTED ,o_t � �.8 eAv ',e /988
cc: County Counsel '
District Attorney PHIL BATCHELOR, CLERK OF THE BOARD OF
Elections Supervisor SUPERVISORS AND COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR
Other Elected Department Heads
BY �G � ,DEPUTY
M382/7-83
Page 2
3 . Acknowledge that the District Attorney and the County
Counsel are reviewing the definition of contributor for
purposes of the County' s Election Campaign Ordinance.
BACKGROUND:
On December 6, 1988, the Board of Supervisors asked County
Counsel to prepare language for our Committee to review on the
issue of an increase in campaign contribution limits and the
inclusion of a voluntary campaign expenditure limit in the Fair
Campaign Pledge. We reviewed that language with County Counsel
on December 12, 1988 . From our discussion with County Counsel,
the District Attorney' s Office, and the Elections Supervisor, we
have reached the above recommendations.
We have moved to an annual limit on campaign contributions which
is considerably more restrictive than in the non-election years
than is Proposition 73 ( $225 versus $1000) . We have kept in
force the overall limit on PAC contributions although we have
increased it from $15,000 to $25, 000 to offset the impact of
inflation and the fact that in-kind contributions must be treated
as contributions covered by the limits in Proposition 73 . We
have included the voluntary campaign expenditure limit as
previously reported to the Board.
We believe that implementation of these recommendations will be
consistent with Proposition 73 , but will limit individual
contributions below the levels permitted by Proposition 73 and
will also continue in force an overall limit on PAC contributions
which can be accepted by a candidate, a provision not included in
Proposition 73 .