CITY O!
Item No. 12
AGENDA REPORT
DATE: January 12, 2026
TO: Honorable Mayor and City Council
FROM: Steven Graham Pacifico, City Attorney
SUBJECT: Repeal of Section 1.08.070 of the Yucaipa Municipal Code Regarding Campaign Contribution Limits
RECOMMENDATION:
That the City Council:
1. Approve the Introduction and First Reading of Ordinance No. 477, an Ordinance of the City Council of the City of Yucaipa, California, repealing Section 1.08.070 (Campaign Contribution Limits) of Chapter 1.08 of Title 1 of the Yucaipa Municipal Code; and
2. Direct the City Clerk to place second reading and adoption of the ordinance on the next regular meeting's consent calendar for adoption.
BACKGROUND/DISCUSSION:
The State of California's Political Reform Act of 1974 regulates campaign financing for state and local public officials. Historically, many cities and counties, including Yucaipa, did not have specific local contribution limits in place. However, Assembly Bill 571 (AB 571), effective January 1, 2021, amended the Government Code to impose a default campaign contribution limit on candidates for elective city offices in jurisdictions that have not enacted a local ordinance establishing their own specific limits.
Pursuant to Government Code Section 85702.5, a local jurisdiction may adopt its own specific limit or explicitly choose to set no limit, which then supersedes the state default limits. In 2024, the City Council adopted Ordinance No. 440, adding Section 1.08.070 to the Yucaipa Municipal Code. This section explicitly stated that the City would impose no limit on campaign contributions, thereby opting out of the state default limits.
At the Regular City Council Meeting held on December 8, 2025, the City Council reconsidered the policy established in Ordinance No. 440. Following deliberation on various options, including maintaining the status quo or establishing a unique local dollar limit, the Council directed staff to return with an ordinance to repeal the local "no limit" provision.
Upon the effective date of this repeal, the City will no longer have a local ordinance on the books governing campaign contributions. Consequently, campaign contribution limits for City Council candidates will:
Default to State Limits: Revert to the limits established by the State of California pursuant to Government Code Section 85301(d).
FPPC Enforcement: Be enforced by the Fair Political Practices Commission (FPPC).
As of 2025, the state default contribution limit was $5,900 per election, with adjustments occurring in January of every odd -numbered year to reflect changes in the Consumer Price Index.
The repeal of Section 1.08.070 of the Yucaipa Municipal Code in its entirety also includes the removal of Subsection (C), which currently governs "Campaign fund transfers." Subsection (C) currently allows candidates to transfer non -surplus funds between their own committees and carry over funds between elections. This provision, being eliminated, will revert to state law requirements, which include the need for a separate bank account for redesignated committees for the same or different city office.
FISCAL IMPACT:
The recommendations do not result in a fiscal impact.
Attachment(s)
1. Ordin�
Approved by:
ATTACHMENT 1
ORDINANCE NO.477
AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF YUCAIPA, CALIFORNIA, REPEALING SECTION 1.08.070 (CAMPAIGN
CONTRIBUTION LIMITS) OF CHAPTER 1.08 OF TITLE 1 OF THE
YUCAIPA MUNICIPAL CODE
WHEREAS, the State of California's Political Reform Act of 1974 (Government Code Sections 81000 et seq.) regulates campaign financing and conflicts of interest for state and local public officials; and
WHEREAS, Assembly Bill 571("AB 571"), effective January 1, 2021, amended the Government Code to impose a default campaign contribution limit on candidates for elective city and county offices in jurisdictions that have not enacted a local ordinance establishing their own contribution limits; and
WHEREAS, pursuant to Government Code Section 85702.5, a local jurisdiction may adopt a specific limit on campaign contributions, or explicitly choose to set no limit, which supersedes the state default limits set forth in Government Code Section 85301(d); and WHEREAS, in 2024, the City Council of the City of Yucaipa adopted Ordinance No. 440, which, among other things, added Section 1.08.070 to the Yucaipa Municipal Code to explicitly impose no limit on campaign contributions that a City Council candidate may receive, thereby opting out of the state default limits; and
WHEREAS, the City Council has reconsidered the policy established in Ordinance No. 440 regarding campaign contribution limits; and
WHEREAS, the City Council desires to repeal Section 1.08.070 of the Yucaipa Municipal Code in its entirety; and
WHEREAS, it is the intent of the City Council that upon the effective date of this repeal, the campaign contribution limits for City Council candidates shall default to the limits established by the State of California pursuant to Government Code Section 85301(d) and enforced by the Fair Political Practices Commission (FPPC).
NOW, THEREFORE, THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF YUCAIPA, CALIFORNIA, DOES HEREBY ORDAIN AS FOLLOWS:
Section 1. Municipal Code Amendment.
Section 1.08.070, titled "Campaign contribution limits," of Chapter 1.08 of Title 1 of the Yucaipa Municipal Code is hereby repealed in its entirety.
Section 2. CEQA Exemption.
The City Council finds that this Ordinance is not subject to the California Environmental Quality Act ("CEQA") pursuant to Sections 15060(c)(2) (the activity will not result in a direct or reasonably foreseeable indirect physical change in the environment) and 15060(c)(3) (the activity is not a project as defined in Section 15378) of the CEQA Guidelines, California Code of Regulations, Title 14, Chapter 3, because it has no potential for resulting in physical change to the environment, directly or indirectly.
Section 3. Severability.
If any section, subsection, sentence, clause, or phrase of this Ordinance is for any reason held to be invalid or unconstitutional by a decision of any court of competent jurisdiction, such decision shall not affect the validity of the remaining portions of this Ordinance. The City Council hereby declares that it would have passed this Ordinance and each and every section, subsection, sentence, clause, or phrase not declared invalid or unconstitutional without regard to whether any portion of the ordinance would be subsequently declared invalid or unconstitutional.
Section 4. Effective Date.
This Ordinance shall take effect thirty (30) days after its adoption.
Section 5. Publication.
The City Clerk shall certify to the adoption of this Ordinance and cause it, or a summary of it, to be published in a newspaper of general circulation printed and published within the City of Yucaipa in accordance with State law.
PASSED, APPROVED and ADOPTED this
ATTEST:
day of , 2026.
Chris Venable, Mayor
APPROVED AS TO FORM
Ana V. Sauseda, MMC Steven Graham Pacifico, City Attorney Director of General Services/City Clerk