Hesperia Municipal Code Ch. 2.32 Campaign Contribution Limits and Regulations

Inherent to the cost of election campaigning is the problem of improper influence, real or potential, exercised by campaign contributors over elected officials. It is the purpose and intent of the City Council in enacting this Chapter to preserve an orderly political forum in which individuals and groups may express themselves effectively; to minimize the improper influence, real or potential, of campaign contributors over the City's elected officials; to place realistic enforceable limits on the amounts of money that may be contributed to political campaigns in municipal elections for City offices; and to provide full and fair enforcement of all the provisions of this Chapter.

(Ord. No. 2020-05, § 2, 5-5-20)

"Person" shall have the same definition as "person" 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. No. 2020-05, § 2, 5-5-20)

A. A person shall not make to a candidate for elective city office, and a candidate for elective city office shall not accept from a person, a contribution totaling more than five hundred dollars ($500) per election.

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

(Ord. No. 2020-05, § 2, 5-5-20)

Any violation of this chapter shall be subject to enforcement and penalties pursuant to Chapter 1.12 of Title 1 of this Code.

(Ord. No. 2020-05, § 2, 5-5-20)

If any section, subsection, subdivision, sentence, clause, phrase, or portion of this chapter or the application thereof to any person, is for any reason held to be invalid or unconstitutional by the decision of any court of competent jurisdiction, such decision shall not affect the validity of the remainder of this chapter. The City Council hereby declares that it would have adopted this chapter, and each and every section, subsection, subdivision, sentence, clause, phrase, or portion thereof, irrespective of the fact that any one or more sections, subsections, subdivisions, sentences, clauses, phrases, or portions thereof be declared invalid or unconstitutional.

(Ord. No. 2020-05, § 2, 5-5-20)