City Council Staff Report Page 1 of 2 December 9, 2025
Staff Report
Agenda Item No. 5.1
DATE: December 9, 2025
TO: Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Council
FROM: Joan Malloy, City Manager
SUBJECT: Waive Full Reading and Introduce by Title Only an Ordinance of the City Council of the City of Union City Amending Chapter 2.05 (Campaign Reporting Requirements) of the Union City Municipal Code
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Staff presents for introduction an ordinance amending Chapter 2.05 of the Union City Municipal Code (“Campaign Reporting Requirements”) to align the City’s electronic campaign filing exemption threshold with the California Political Reform Act. The amendment lowers the exemption threshold from $2,000 to $1,000, consistent with Government Code § 84615.
The Legislation and Policy Committee reviewed this item on November 17, 2025 (see Attachment 1), and directed staff to bring the ordinance forward for City Council introduction on December 9, 2025.
STRATEGIC PLAN ALIGNMENT
This item advances Goal B: Governance and Organizational Effectiveness. Aligning the City’s local reporting requirements with state statute improves regulatory compliance, strengthens transparency in campaign finance administration, and supports consistent, predictable processes for candidates, committees, and the public.
BACKGROUND
In April 2024, the City Council adopted Ordinance No. 921-24, which updated Chapter
2.05 (“Campaign Reporting Requirements”) and established mandatory electronic filing for campaign statements and reports submitted to the City Clerk. Under the ordinance, candidates, elected officials, and committees must file electronically unless they both receive less than $2,000 in contributions and make less than $2,000 in expenditures within a calendar year.
Since adoption, staff identified that this threshold differs from the exemption standard established in Government Code § 84615, which governs local government authority to implement mandatory electronic filing. The statute requires local jurisdictions to exempt Agenda Item No. 5.1
City Council Staff Report Page 2 of 2 December 9, 2025 2 8 filers that receive less than $1,000 in contributions and make less than $1,000 in expenditures per year.
Maintaining a threshold above the statutory level creates an inconsistency between local and state regulation. The Legislation and Policy Committee reviewed this issue and supported revising the Union City Municipal Code accordingly.
DISCUSSION
To ensure consistency with state law and eliminate ambiguity for campaign filers, staff proposes amending Section 2.05.050(A) of the Union City Municipal Code to reflect the $1,000 statutory exemption threshold.
Current municipal code language:
“… except an elected officer, candidate, committee, or other person who receives contributions totaling less than $2,000 and makes expenditures totaling less than $2,000 in a calendar year …”
Proposed amendment:
“… except an elected officer, candidate, committee, or other person who receives contributions totaling less than $1,000 and makes expenditures totaling less than $1,000 in a calendar year …”
No other portions of Union City Municipal Code Chapter 2.05 are proposed for revision.
The amendment preserves all other requirements related to data integrity, security standards, public accessibility, and compatibility with Secretary of State filing formats.
If introduced, the ordinance will return to the City Council for adoption at the next regular meeting in January 2026.
FISCAL IMPACT
There is no fiscal impact associated with this action. The City’s existing electronic filing platform (NetFile) already complies with the technical standards required under the California Political Reform Act, and no system modifications are necessary to implement this change.
RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommends that the City Council waive full reading and introduce by title only an Ordinance of the City Council of the City of Union City amending Chapter 2.05 (Campaign Reporting Requirements) of the Union City Municipal Code, revising the electronic filing exemption threshold to align with Government Code § 84615.
Prepared by: Thai Nam Pham, City Clerk
Submitted by: Thai Nam Pham, City Clerk
Attachments
1. Attachment 1 - Legislation and Policy Committee Report – November 17, 2025
2. Draft Ordinance Amending Chapter 2.05