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THE CITY OF <br />- ~ CITY COUNCIL AGENDA REPORT <br />PL~E~S~4NTONo <br />January 15, 2008 <br />City Manager's Office <br />TITLE: CONSIDER A RESOLUTION ADOPTING A CODE OF FAIR CAMPAIGN <br />PRACTICES, AND INFORMATION ABOUT TIME PERIODS FOR THE <br />APPLICATION OF A VOLUNTARY CAMPAIGN EXPENDITURE LIMIT, <br />INTRODUCTION OF AN ORDINANCE TO ESTABLISH THE LIMIT AT <br />$1.00 PER REGISTERED VOTER, INDEXED FOR INFLATION, AND <br />AMENDING THE MUNICIPAL CODE TO REQUIRE THAT EXPENDITURES <br />BE CUMULATED ON CAMPAIGN STATEMENTS <br />SUMMARY <br />This report provides the Council with a proposal for a Code of Fair Campaign Practices, <br />as well as information regarding a recommended time period for cumulating <br />expenditures for a voluntary campaign expenditure limit, which could be set at $1.00 per <br />registered voter, and indexed for inflation. Alternatives to advance campaign finance <br />reform and fair elections are also presented. This matter is a Council priority, as <br />indicated in the Council's 2007-2008 Work Plan, and was previously discussed on <br />October 16 and December 18, 2007. <br />RECOMMENDATION <br />Consider adopting the attached resolution providing that candidates and political action <br />committees may voluntarily pledge to a Code of Fair Campaign Practices, modeled on <br />the California Elections Code. <br />Consider introducing the attached ordinance to add a new Chapter 1.22 to the Municipal <br />Code to establish a voluntary campaign expenditure limit for candidates for the office of <br />council member and mayor at $1.00 per registered voter, indexed for inflation. The <br />voluntary campaign expenditure limit could cumulate expenditures for different election <br />periods, as follows: <br />(i) General Municipal Election -the time period of Jan. 1st of the calendar year <br />preceding the year of the general election until December 31st following the <br />general election; <br />(ii) Special Election -the time period from the date of the call for a special <br />election until sixty dates following the actual date of the election; and <br />(iii) Nov. 2008 General Municipal Election -the time period from the effective <br />date of the ordinance until December 31, 2008. <br />