SR 05:041 - Laserfiche WebLink

In 1994, the City Council adopted an ordinance, codified in Chapter 1.20 of the Pleasanton Municipal Code, copy attached, that requires a candidate (or committee) to disclose the name, address, occupation and place of employment of any person (broadly defined) who contributes, loans, or otherwise furnishes $25 or more to a campaign. These disclosure statements are to be filed four times per election, reflecting, respectively, contributions received 45, 17 and 7 days prior to an election and a final campaign statement is due 30 days after an election. Recently, Council asked staff to place this item on the agenda for a discussion as to whether the $25 should remain as the threshold amount. DISCUSSION The ordinance finds that it is in the public interest for voters to know who is contributing to campaigns for local offices and local measures, and that candidates and their committees must make a full and fair disclosure of the persons who are making such contributions and the amounts thereof. State law sets the disclosure threshold at $100. Council may adopt an ordinance that reduces that threshold. Accordingly, Council may retain, increase, or decrease the existing $25 disclosure threshold. Similarly, State law only requires three disclosure filings; Pleasanton has added an additional one (to be filed four days prior to the election reflecting contributions received seven days prior to the election.) Council has discretion to retain or eliminate that filing, or to add additional filing requirements. FISCAL IMPACT There is no fiscal impact to the City if the ordinance were changed. RECOMMENDATION If Council concludes that the ordinance should be changed in any respect, introduce an ordinance reflecting those changes. Respectfully,. fi/~,fA.6,/4a.A~/4Submitted'~ ~ Michael H. Roush Nelson Fialho City Attorney City Manager Attachment SR:05:041 Page 2