ORDINANCE NO. 3184-18
AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY
OF REDONDO BEACH, CALIFORNIA, AMENDING TITLE
2, CHAPTER 2 OF THE REDONDO BEACH MUNICIPAL
CODE REGARDING CAMPAIGN CONTRIBUTION LIMITS
FOR ELECTIONS
WHEREAS, the problem of campaign expenditures has become a serious reality of American politics and campaigns in the City of Redondo Beach are not excepted; and WHEREAS, incidental to the high cost of election campaigning is the problem of improper influence, real or potential, exercised by campaign contributors over elected officials; and
WHEREAS, it is important to place reasonable and enforceable limits on the amounts that persons may contribute to political campaigns in municipal elections for the prevention of corruption and the appearance of corruption spawned by the real or imagined coercive influence of large financial contributions on candidates' positions and on their actions if elected to office.
NOW, THEREFORE, THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF REDONDO BEACH, CALIFORNIA, DOES HEREBY ORDAIN AS FOLLOWS:
SECTION 1. AMENDMENT OF CODE. Title 2, Chapter 2, Sections 2- 2.301 through 2- 2.309 of the Redondo Beach Municipal Code are hereby added to read as follows:
Chapter 2 ELECTIONS
2- 2.301 Purpose
It is the intent of the City Council in enacting this Article to place realistic and enforceable limits on the amounts persons may contribute to political campaigns in municipal elections. The City Council finds that the provisions of this Article are necessary to prevent the actuality or appearance of corruption in the election process. 2- 2.302 Definitions
Unless otherwise defined in this chapter, words and phrases used hereinafter shall have the same meaning as defined in the Political Reform Act of 1974 which is codified in Title 9 of the California Government Code as it now exists or may hereafter be amended.
2- 2. 303 Campaign contribution limits: Candidates for City Council For general municipal and runoff elections, no person shall make to any candidate for City Council or the controlled committee of such a candidate, and no such candidate or the candidate's controlled committee shall accept from any such person, a contribution or contributions totaling more than One Thousand dollars ($ 1000.00) for the ORDINANCE NO. 3184- 18
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general municipal election and One Thousand dollars ($ 1000.00) for the runoff election.
The One Thousand dollar ($ 1000.00) limit specified above shall be adjusted in June of every odd numbered year commencing in 2019 for changes in the consumer price index for the Los Angeles Area, CPI- U rounded to the nearest $50.00. Nothing herein shall be construed to restrict a candidate from contributing his or her own funds or assets to his or her campaign.
2- 2.304 Campaign contribution limits: Candidates for Mayor For general municipal and runoff elections, no person shall make to any candidate for any of the office of Mayor or the controlled committee of such a candidate, and no such candidate or the candidate's controlled committee shall accept from any such person, a contribution or contributions totaling more than Two Thousand, Five Hundred dollars 2,500.00) for the general municipal election and Two Thousand, Five Hundred dollars 2, 500.00) for the runoff election. The Two Thousand, Five Hundred dollar ($2, 500.00) limit specified above shall be adjusted in June of every odd numbered year commencing in 2019 for changes in the consumer price index for the Los Angeles Area, CPI- U rounded to the nearest $50.00. Nothing herein shall be construed to restrict a candidate from contributing his or her own funds or assets to his or her campaign. 2- 2.305 Loans
1) A loan shall be considered a contribution from the maker and the guarantor of the loan and shall be subject to the contribution limitations of this Chapter. 2) Every loan to a candidate's controlled committee shall be by written agreement.
3) Notwithstanding any other provision of this Section 2- 2. 306, a candidate for City Council shall not loan to his or her campaign, funds in excess of Fifteen Thousand dollars ($ 15,000.00) in a general municipal election and Fifteen Thousand dollars ($ 15,000.00) in a runoff election.
4) Notwithstanding any other provision of this Section 2- 2.306, a candidate for Mayor shall not loan to his or her campaign, funds in excess of Twenty-Five Thousand dollars ($ 25,000.00) in a general municipal election and Twenty-Five Thousand dollars ($25,000.00) in a runoff election.
5) Nothing herein shall be construed to restrict a candidate from contributing his or her own funds or assets to his or her campaign.
2- 2. 306 Prohibition on nonelection cycle contributions No candidate or the controlled committee of such a person shall accept any contribution except during the election cycle in which the candidate or officeholder intends to run for or be a write-in candidate for the office for which the contribution is made. Election cycle means that period commencing with January 1 of the even numbered year immediately preceding the general municipal election for that office and ending six ( 6) months after the general municipal election. For a special election, the ORDINANCE NO. 3184-18
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election cycle commences with the declaration of a vacancy in an elective office and ends six (6) months after the special election date.
2- 2. 307 Return of contributions
A contribution will not be considered to be received or accepted if it is not negotiated or deposited, and in addition it is returned to the donor within fourteen ( 14) days of receipt.
2- 2. 308 Family Contributions
Contributions from spouses shall be treated as contributions by separate persons and shall not be aggregated. Contributions by children under the age of eighteen ( 18) years of age shall be treated as contributions by their parents ( or legal guardians) and attributed one-half ( 1/ 2) to each parent (or legal guardian) or the total amount to a single parent (or legal guardian).
2- 2. 309 Violations; Misdemeanor
Any person violating any of the provisions of this chapter shall be guilty of a misdemeanor."
SECTION 2. EXEMPT FROM CEQA. The City Council determines that this ordinance is exempt from review under the California Environmental Quality Act ( Cal.
Pub. Regs. Code Section 15000, et seq.) because the only potential physical effect on the environment that could foreseeably result from its implementation is a reduction in environmental impacts associated with vehicle traffic including, but not limited to, traffic congestion and greenhouse gas emissions. Such a reduction in the use or operation of an existing City street or property is categorically exempt from further CEQA review under Cal. Code Regs. Title 14, Section 15301. This ordinance, therefore, is an action that does not have the potential to cause significant effects on the environment.
SECTION 3. INCONSISTENT PROVISIONS. Any provisions of the Redondo Beach Municipal Code, or appendices thereto, or any other ordinances of the City inconsistent herewith, to the extent of such inconsistencies and no further, are hereby repealed.
SECTION 4. SEVERANCE. If any section, subsection, sentence, clause, or phrase of this ordinance is for any reason held to be invalid or unconstitutional by the decision of any court of competent jurisdiction, such decision shall not affect the validity of the remaining portions of the ordinance. The City Council hereby declares that it would have passed this ordinance and each section, subsection, sentence, clause, and phrase thereof, irrespective of the fact that any one or more sections, subsections, sentences, clauses, or phrases be declared invalid or unconstitutional.
SECTION 5. PUBLICATION AND EFFECTIVE DATE. This ordinance shall be published by one insertion in The Beach Reporter, the official newspaper of said city, and same shall go into effect and be in full force and operation from and after thirty ( 30) days after its final passage and adoption.
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PASSED, APPROVED AND ADOPTED this 8th day of January, 2019. gf%_
Mayor William C. Brand
APPROVED AS TO FORM: ATTEST:
Michael W. Webb, City Attorney Eleanor Manzano, CMf , ity Clerk ORDINANCE NO. 3184-18
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STATE OF CALIFORNIA
COUNTY OF LOS ANGELES ) ss
CITY OF REDONDO BEACH )
I, Eleanor Manzano, City Clerk of Redondo Beach, California, do hereby certify that the foregoing Ordinance No. 3184- 18 was duly introduced at a regular meeting of the City Council held on the 18th day of December, 2018, and was duly approved and adopted at a regular meeting of said City Council held on the 8th day of January, 2019, by the following roll call vote:
AYES: NEHRENHEIM, LOEWENSTEIN, HORVATH
NOES: GRAN, EMDEE
ABSENT: NONE
ABSTAIN: NONE
elte4.0 i
Eleanor Manzano,0 C
City Clerk
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