Division I — TITLE, FINDINGS AND PURPOSE

This Chapter 2.01 may be cited as the Long Beach Campaign Reform Act.

(Ord. C-7283 § 1, 1994; Prop. M, 6-7-94, eff. 6-24-94)

In enacting this Chapter 2.01, the following findings and declarations are adopted:

A.

Monetary contributions to political campaigns are a legitimate form of participation in the political process, but the financial strength of certain individuals or organizations should not permit the exercise of a disproportionate or controlling influence on the election of candidates.

B.

The rapidly increasing costs of political campaigns have forced many candidates to raise larger and larger amounts of money from individuals and interest groups with a specific financial stake in matters before the City Council. This has caused a public perception that votes are being improperly influenced by monetary contributions. This perception is undermining the credibility and integrity of the governmental process.

C.

Candidates are raising less money in small contributions and more money in large individual and organizational contributions. This has created the public impression that the small contributor has an insignificant role to play in political campaigns.

D.

High campaign costs are forcing officeholders to spend more time on fundraising and less time on the public's business. The constant pressure to raise contributions is distracting officeholders from urgent governmental matters.

E.

Officeholders are responding to high campaign costs by raising large amounts of money in off-election years. This fundraising distracts them from important public matters, encourages contributions which may have a corrupting influence and gives incumbents an overwhelming and patently unfair fundraising advantage over potential challengers.

F.

The integrity of the governmental process, the competitiveness of campaigns and public confidence in local officials are all diminishing.

(Ord. C-7283 § 1, 1994; Prop. M, 6-7-94, eff. 6-24-94)

It is the purpose of this Chapter 2.01:

A.

To insure that individuals and interest groups in Long Beach have a fair and equal opportunity to participate in municipal elective and governmental processes.

B.

To reduce the influence of large contributors with a specific financial stake in matters before the City Council, thus countering the perception that decisions are influenced more by the size of contributions than the best interests of the people of the City.

C.

To assist serious candidates in raising enough money to communicate their views and positions adequately to the public without excessive expenditures or contributions, thereby promoting public discussion of the important issues involved in political campaigns.

D.

To limit overall expenditures in campaigns, thereby reducing the pressure on candidates to raise large campaign war chests for defensive purposes, beyond the amount necessary to communicate reasonably with voters.

E.

To provide a neutral source of campaign financing in the form of limited public matching funds.

F.

To increase the value to candidates of smaller contributions.

G.

To eliminate fundraising except during an election cycle.

H.

To reduce the excessive fundraising advantage of incumbents and thus encourage competition for elective office.

I.

To allow candidates and officeholders to spend a lesser proportion of their time on fundraising and a greater proportion of their time dealing with issues of importance to their constituents.

J.

To improve the disclosure of contribution sources in reasonable and effective ways.

K.

To help restore public trust in local governmental and electoral institutions.

(Ord. C-7283 § 1, 1994; Prop. M, 6-7-94, eff. 6-24-1994)