SR 04-12-2022 7C
City Council
Report
City Council Meeting: April 12, 2022
Agenda Item: 7.C
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To: Mayor and City Council
From: Denise Anderson Warren, City Clerk, Records and Election Services
Department
Subject: Introduction and First Reading of an Ordinance Amending Santa Monica
Municipal Code (SMMC) 11.04.050 Adjusting the City's Campaign
Contribution Limit
Recommended Action
Staff recommends that the City Council introduce for first reading the attached
ordinance adjusting the City’s Election Code section on limitations on contributions from
persons.
Summary
SMMC 11.04.050 requires an adjustment of the City’s contribution limit from individuals
every five years to reflect inflation. This amendment would increase the limit from $340
to $410 to any candidate for the Santa Monica City Council and the Santa Monica Rent
Control Board and for each election in which they are on the ballot.
Discussion
The contribution limit was first established in 1992. Over the years, its application was
adjusted to reflect changes in case laws. The new limit would apply to the November 8,
2022 Municipal Election, but would not apply to candidates for the Santa Monica
Community College and Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School Districts. The adjustment
is based on the Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers
(CPI-W) for the Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim area and rounded to the nearest five
dollars. The previous limit of $340 commenced on July 1, 2016, and this adjustment
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should have occurred 2021 but was not presented until now. The next increase will
occur on July 1, 2026.
Financial Impacts and Budget Actions
There is no immediate financial impact or budget action necessary as a result of
recommended action.
Prepared By: Maria Dacanay, Administrative Analyst
Approved
Forwarded to Council
Attachments:
A. Proposed Ordinance
7.C
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City Council Meeting: April 12, 2022 Santa Monica, California
ORDINANCE NUMBER (CCS)
(City Council Series)
AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SANTA MONICA
AMENDING SECTION 11.04.050 OF THE CITY ELECTIONS CODE TO ADJUST
LIMITS ON CAMPAIGN CONTRIBUTIONS TO CITY CANDIDATES
WHEREAS, the City desires to adjust the limits on campaign contributions to
City candidates to keep pace with the consumer price index (CPI).
NOW, THEREFORE, THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SANTA MONICA
DOES HEREBY ORDAIN AS FOLLOWS:
Section 1. Chapter 11.04.050 is hereby amended to read as follows:
11.4.50 Limitations on contributions from persons.
(a) No person shall make to any candidate for office or to the controlled
committee of such a candidate, a contribution or contributions totaling more than three
hundred twenty five four hundred ten dollars for each election in which the candidate
was on, is on, or is likely to be on the ballot or in which the candidate sought or seeks
write-in votes.
(b) No candidate for office or the controlled committee of such a candidate
shall accept from any person a contribution or contributions totaling more than three
hundred twenty five four hundred ten dollars for each election.
(c) The limitations imposed by this section shall be adjusted every five
years, commencing on July 1, 2016 2026, by an amount equal to the percentage
change in the CPI-W Index for the Los Angeles/Riverside/Orange County Los
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Packet Pg. 1217 Attachment: Proposed Ordinance [Revision 3] (5067 : Adjustment on Limits on Election Contributions (5 mins))
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Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim area, as published by the United States Department of
Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics rounded to the nearest five dollars.
(d) This section shall not be interpreted or applied to violate the right of
association or the right to express views through expenditures. Rather, it is intended
to be and shall be applied solely as a limit on campaign contributions to individuals
and committees.
Section 2. Any provision of the Santa Monica Municipal Code or appendices
thereto inconsistent with the provisions of this Ordinance, to the extent of such
inconsistencies and no further, is hereby repealed or modified to that extent necessary
to effect the provisions of this Ordinance.
Section 3. 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. The Mayor shall sign and the City Clerk shall attest to the passage of
this Ordinance. The City Clerk shall cause the same to be published once in the
official newspaper within 15 days after its adoption. This Ordinance shall become
effective 30 days from its adoption.
APPROVED AS TO FORM:
_________________
SUSAN COLA
Interim City Attorney
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Packet Pg. 1218 Attachment: Proposed Ordinance [Revision 3] (5067 : Adjustment on Limits on Election Contributions (5 mins))