SR 04-26-2022 7B
City Council
Report
City Council Meeting: April 26, 2022
Agenda Item: 7.B
1 of 1
To: Mayor and City Council
From: Susan Cola, Interim City Attorney, City Attorney's Office, Administration
Subject: Second Reading and Adoption of an Ordinance Amending Santa Monica
Municipal Code (SMMC) 11.04.050 Adjusting the City's Campaign
Contribution Limit
Recommended Action
Staff recommends that City Council adopt the attached Ordinance.
Executive Summary
At its meeting on April 12, 2022, the City Council introduced for first reading an
ordinance amending Santa Monica Municipal Code Section11.04.050 adjusting the
City's campaign contribution limit. The ordinance is now presented to City Council for
adoption.
Prepared By: Bradley Michaud, Legal Operations Coordinator
Approved
Forwarded to Council
Attachments:
A. ORD-ord-2d Read-Elections Code Limits
7.B
Packet Pg. 1048
1
City Council Meeting: April 26, 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 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 four
hundred ten dollars for each election.
(c) The limitations imposed by this section shall be adjusted every five
years, commencing on July 1, 2026, by an amount equal to the percentage change in
the CPI-W Index for the Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim area, as published by the
7.B.a
Packet Pg. 1049 Attachment: ORD-ord-2d Read-Elections Code Limits (5092 : Second Read - Elections Code Contributions Limit)
2
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 Y. COLA
Interim City Attorney
7.B.a
Packet Pg. 1050 Attachment: ORD-ord-2d Read-Elections Code Limits (5092 : Second Read - Elections Code Contributions Limit)