DATE:
June 14, 2022
CATEGORY:
Consent
DEPT.:
City Clerk’s Office
TITLE: General Municipal Election for Three
Councilmembers—November 8, 2022
RECOMMENDATION
1. Adopt a Resolution of the City Council of the City of Mountain View Calling a General Municipal Election for the Purpose of Electing Three (3) Members of the City Council, Requesting the Board of Supervisors to Authorize the Registrar of Voters to Contract for Election Services, Authorizing the City Clerk to Contract with the County of Santa Clara Pertaining to Services to Be Performed by the County in Connection with the General Municipal Election to Be Held on Tuesday, November 8, 2022, and Related Actions, to be read in title only, further reading waived (Attachment 1 to the Council report).
2. Adopt a Resolution of the City Council of the City of Mountain View Adopting a 200-Word Maximum for a Candidate’s Statement of Qualifications and Charging Each Candidate for a Fixed Share of Costs for the Printing, Handling, Translating, and Mailing for the General Municipal Election to be Held on Tuesday, November 8, 2022, to be read in title only, further reading waived (Attachment 2 to the Council report).
3. Direct the City Clerk to take all necessary actions related to the conduct of the November 8, 2022 General Municipal Election.
BACKGROUND AND ANALYSIS
The Elections Code requires action by the Council to call the election of three Councilmembers at the November 8, 2022 General Municipal Electio n and to request from the County of Santa Clara Board of Supervisors consolidation of such election with the Statewide election.
As part of calling the election, the Council must also take an action regarding the statements of the candidates that are included in the Voter Information Guide. At the time of filing the candidates’ nomination papers, each candidate is required to file a statement of acceptance or rejection of the voluntary expendi ture limit. Pursuant to Chapter 2, Article XII, Division 3, Section 2.151 of the Mountain View City Code, candidates who file a statement of acceptance of the voluntary expenditure limit and pay the first $500 for the cost of publishing the 200 -word
General Municipal Election for Three Councilmembers—November 8, 2022 June 14, 2022
candidate statement are eligible to have the City pay for the balance of the cost of the candidate statement subject to certain limitations.
The estimated full cost of a candidate statement i s $ 3,290. The voluntary expenditure limit , campaign finances, and the candidate statements are interrelated. A voluntary expenditure limit for each candidate for each election to City elective office was established in the year 2000 in the amount of $15,000 and provides an automatic adjustment of the expenditure ceiling at the rate of 3% per year to keep pace with the changes in the cost of living. The voluntary expenditure limit for the November 8, 2022 General Municipal Election is $28,744.
The f ollowing items do not count toward the voluntary expenditure limit : (1) the c ost of a candidate statement, whether paid by the candidate or the City; (2) contributions returned by the candidate to a contributor within 30 days of receipt; (3) fees paid to the Secretary of State for opening/maintaining committees; and (4) expenditures paid from a campaign bank account not related to the support of a candidacy (e.g., maintenance of a P.O. box after an election; an after-election party). For any violation of the voluntary expenditure limit, a notice of violation is posted on the City’s website and at the official posting board at City Hall, and the notice is forwarded to a newspaper of general circulation for publication. A repayment to the City of the costs of the candidate’s statement is required if a candidate exceeds the voluntary expenditure limit, which is due within 30 days of exceeding the limit. If a candidate exceeds the voluntary expenditure limit by no more than $500, the candidate must repay t he City 25% of the amount the City paid toward the candidate statement. If a candidate exceeds the voluntary expenditure limit by more than $500, t he candidate must repay the City the entire amount of the City contribution.
The attached resolutions set forth the actions required to consolidate the election and establish a 200-word limit for candidate statements. The resolutions conform with the City Charter, which incorporates the provisions set forth in the California Elections Code and the City Code.
FISCAL IMPACT
The Fiscal Year 2022-23 Recommended Budget includes funds in the amount of $289,000 for the November 8, 2022 General Municipal E lection based on an estimate provided by the County of Santa Clara Registrar of Voters, the projected cost of legal advertising, and the amount required to cover a portion of the cost of the candidate statement fee the City pays for each candidate who accepts the voluntary expenditure limit of $28,744.
General Municipal Election for Three Councilmembers—November 8, 2022 June 14, 2022
PUBLIC NOTICING—Agenda posting.
Prepared by:
Heather Glaser
City Clerk
Approved by:
Audrey Seymour Ramberg
Assistant City Manager/Chief
Operating Officer
HG/WW/4/CAM
428-06-14-22CR
202094
Attachments: 1. Resolution—Calling Election
2. Resolution—Candidate Statement