From:
To: City Council (San Mateo); Clerk
Subject: CORRECTION Greetings,: Campaign Financing, July 28 Council Regular Meeting Item #29 Date: Monday, July 28, 2025 11:51:06 AM
A typo has been corrected. Please use this for the package!
From: >
Sent: Monday, July 28, 2025 11:21 AM
To: San Mateo City Council <[email protected]>; [email protected] <[email protected]>
Subject:
Campaign Financing, July 28 Council Regular Meeting Item #29
Honorable Mayor and Council Members,
I am writing regarding the July 28, 2025, Regular City Council Meeting, Agenda Item #29, “Amendment to Contribution Limits for City Candidate Campaigns – Ordinance Introduction and Public Financing”.
Ethics San Mateo has not, and most likely will not, take a position on this matter. At this time, although campaigning financing most certainly can raise questions about ethics, I believe taking a position could place our issue-agnostic pledge in question. Therefore, I am writing as an individual, not on behalf of ESM.
The entire subject matter of how funds are raised to run a campaign is both practical and political. No one can overlook the ever-increasing costs, and those costs can be well out of proportion to the size of the electorate. We need smart, engaged, and selfless candidates to select from. Many voters don’t do a deep dive into the backgrounds, qualifications, and to seek out which candidate reflects their sentiments.
I believe far too often the candidates with the highest “bankroll” and thus, the ability to plaster their name and image disproportionately, have a great advantage. While true that the more popular a candidate is, the more contributions they may receive. It also places candidates in a delicate position, in that high dollar donors may expect favorable treatment. This is when a high level of ethical conduct must be fostered and maintained.
There are many solutions proposed at every level of government. All can be critiqued to have both good and bad elements.
The public funding of campaigns with spending limits is one and is very attractive. It could create an even playing field and no ethical challenges. However, in San Mateo there are several aspects that would need to be resolved. The city would need to find sources of
funding, and it is facing a budget deficit. Additionally, how would the funds be distributed, proportionally by the number of voters in the district? Or, as city council members are elected by district, they serve the entire city, split equally among all candidates? Should all candidates receive funding? Who would administer and monitor it?
These are just some of the questions that need to be resolved, and it is JUST one potential solution.
Therefore, I urge you to take this slowly and very carefully.
Regards,
Dave Cohen