Hawthorne Municipal Code Ch. 2.64 Campaign Contributions

This chapter may be referred to as the "Hawthorne Campaign Contribution Ordinance of 2021."

(Ord. 2218 § 1, 2021)

The purpose of this chapter is to encourage public confidence in the political process and to prevent corruption and the appearance of corruption by limiting the source and amount of contributions that may be made to candidates and committees controlled by candidates for elective offices.

(Ord. 2218 § 1, 2021)

This chapter is adopted pursuant to the authority set forth in Section 85702.5(a) of the California Government Code.

(Ord. 2218 § 1, 2021)

Except as more specifically provided in this chapter, the definitions set forth in the Political Reform Act of 1974 (Government Code Sections 81000 et seq., as amended) shall govern the interpretation of this chapter. However, the following terms shall mean as set forth below:

"Municipal election"

means any election, whether general or special, for municipal office, but does not include a recall election. Each such election is a separate municipal election for purposes of this chapter.

"Municipal office"

means mayor, member of the city council, city treasurer, and city clerk. However, if the voters make the office of city clerk or the office of city treasurer an appointive office, the appointive office shall no longer count as a municipal office for purposes of this chapter.

"Person"

has the same definition given in California Government Code Section 82047, as it may be amended from time to time, and which currently provides as follows: "an individual, proprietorship, firm, partnership, joint venture, syndicate, business trust, company, corporation, limited liability company, association, committee, and any other organization or group of persons acting in concert."

(Ord. 2218 § 1, 2021)

A. A person shall not make to a candidate for municipal office, and a candidate for municipal office shall not accept from a person, a contribution totaling more than one hundred thousand dollars for a municipal election.

B. The provisions of this section do not apply to a candidate's contributions of the candidate's personal funds to the candidate's own campaign.

(Ord. 2218 § 1, 2021)

A candidate for municipal office or committee controlled by that candidate shall not make a contribution to any other candidate for municipal office in excess of the limits set forth in Section 2.64.050.

(Ord. 2218 § 1, 2021)

A candidate for municipal office may transfer campaign funds from one controlled committee to a controlled committee for municipal office of the same candidate. Contributions transferred shall be attributed to specific contributors using a "last in, first out" or "first in, first out" accounting method, and these attributed contributions when aggregated with all other contributions from the same contributor shall not exceed the limits set forth in Section 2.64.050.

(Ord. 2218 § 1, 2021)

A candidate for municipal office shall not personally loan to his or her campaign, including the proceeds of a loan obtained by the candidate from a commercial lending institution, an amount that exceeds one hundred thousand dollars. A candidate shall not charge interest on any loan the candidate made to the candidate's campaign.

(Ord. 2218 § 1, 2021)

A contribution for an election may be accepted by a candidate for municipal office after the date of the election only to the extent that the contribution does not exceed net debts outstanding from the election, and the contribution does not otherwise exceed the applicable contribution limit for that election.

(Ord. 2218 § 1, 2021)

Notwithstanding Section 2.64.070, a candidate for municipal office may carry over contributions raised in connection with one election for municipal office to pay campaign expenditures incurred in connection with a subsequent election for the same municipal office.

(Ord. 2218 § 1, 2021)

It is not the intent of this chapter to set a limit on the amount that may be contributed to a committee established pursuant to Government Code Section 8513 by holder of a municipal office to oppose the qualification of a recall measure and the recall election or to in any way preempt the authorization and requirements set forth in subdivisions (a) and (b) of Section 8513.

(Ord. 2218 § 1, 2021)