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Councilmember McGovern said her concern is that new candidates do not have the same benefit of fundraising over the last year that incumbents likely would and, given the current economic climate, they could incur personal debt in order to run for office. She said she has met several interested parties who expressed concerned and were more than a little reluctant to step forward once they learned what the personal cost would be. Mayor Hosterman noted that the candidate statement is truly optional and not required as part of the election. Mayor Hosterman opened for public comment. Karla Brown said a candidate statement is a must in order to have any decent chance of being elected. She reported that the City's filing fees are 3.7 times more than recent Dublin elections and 1.3 times more than the highest fees ever charged in Livermore, which demonstrates an obvious subsidy on the part of both cities. Each City requires candidates to provide a $750 deposit against which the Clerk tracks actual expenses. She stated that from 2000 to 2008, Pleasanton charged candidates between $200 and $255, a policy changed by the Council in 2010 without any true public vetting. She said the current fees are disappointing and dramatically affect the ability of many candidates to try and represent their City. Mayor Hosterman closed public comment Councilmember Cook-Kallio asked if any consideration is given to a candidate with demonstrated financial constraints. City Clerk Diaz stated that the elections code provides for individuals who claim and can substantiate themselves as being indigent. In these instances, the deposit is waived. Councilmember Cook-Kallio said it is legitimate to compare Pleasanton to Dublin and Livermore based on location, but not necessarily population. She said Ms. Brown's point about their subsidies is well taken, but noted that Fremont's fees are a great deal higher than Pleasanton's. She felt there were a variety of potential options that could strike a balance between making this more available to people with limited funds and recouping the cost to the community. Mayor Hosterman said the issue is about more than individual candidates who wish to run for local government, it is also about fiscal responsibility. She said it is important for the Council to send a unified message that it is a responsible steward of the City's budget and of taxpayer dollars. She felt there could be an opportunity to revisit the idea of subsidy in the future but that the current policy of cost recovery was a more important message at present. Councilmembers presented a number of potential scenarios under which funds might be collected and Mr. Fialho ultimately presented the following three as legally viable options, which must be universally applied to all candidates: • Collect the full fee up front; • Collect a deposit, in an amount to be determined, and bill the candidate for the remaining balance once all relative information is received from the County Registrar: and • Authorize a General Fund subsidy for a portion of the fee Councilmember Cook-Kallio inquired about the circumstances that would allow a candidate to qualify as indigent and receive assistance. City Clerk Diaz explained that election guidelines require the candidate to submit an application including a Statement of Worth. Indigence is established at 30% below median income using Los Angeles County criteria, as established by HUD. City Council Minutes Page 9 of 10 June 19,2012