TO:
Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Council
THROUGH:
Bruce Moe, City Manager
FROM:
Alexandria Latragna, Communications and Civic Engagement Manager
SUBJECT:Title
Consideration of Adopting an Urgency Ordinance Adjusting the Campaign Contribution Limit to $250 (City Manager Moe).
ADOPT URGENCY ORDINANCE NO. 24-0002-U
Body
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RECOMMENDATION:
Staff recommends that the City Council adopt Urgency Ordinance No. 24-0002-U adjusting the campaign contribution limit to $250.
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:
There are no fiscal implications associated with the recommended action.
BACKGROUND/DISCUSSION:
In July 2020, the City Council adopted Ordinance No. 20-0006 which, among other things, increased the campaign contribution limit for a single election from $250 to $300. Previously, the limit had not been increased since 1996. As such, Ordinance No. 20-0006 amended Manhattan Beach Municipal Code (MBMC) Section 4.120.030 to read:
A. No person shall contribute a total of more than three hundred dollars to any candidate for elected office and to their controlled committee for a single election. No candidate for elected City Office and their controlled committee shall accept any contribution or contributions totaling more than three hundred dollars from any person for a single election. Nothing in this section is intended to limit the amount a candidate may contribute to his or her own campaign for elected City office from the candidate's own personal funds.
On September 29, 2022, the Governor signed into law Senate Bill (SB) No. 1439 amending the Political Reform Act of 1974 and imposing on local elected officials new conflict of interest rules that had previously applied only to local appointed officials. This bill became effective January 2023. Government Code Section 84308 now requires local elected officials to:
1. Disclose any contributions over $250 received from parties or participants in a proceeding, or the...
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