Santa Maria Municipal Code Ch. 2 25A. Electronic Filing of Campaign Finance Disclosure Statements And…

The purpose of this Chapter is to require the filing of Campaign Finance Disclosure Statements and Statements of Economic Interests by elected officials, candidates, staff, consultants, commissions, committees, or other persons to be completed electronically, unless exempted. This Chapter is enacted in accordance with the authority granted to cities by California Government Code §84615, and is intended to supplement, and not conflict with, the Political Reform Act.

(Ord. 2023-02 § 12, eff. 6/1/23)

Pursuant to California Government Code §84615, the City of Santa Maria hereby finds that the electronic filing system required by this Chapter will contain multiple safeguards to protect the integrity and security of the data, will operate securely and effectively, and it will not unduly burden filers.

(Ord. 2023-02 § 12, eff. 6/1/23)

A. Requirement – Campaign Statement. Any elected officer, candidate, commission, committee, or other person required to file statements, reports, or other documents required by Government Code Chapter 4 – Political Reform Act (commencing with §84100) shall file those statements, reports, or other documents online or electronically with the City's designated local filing officer beginning July 1, 2023.

B. Requirement – Statement of Economic Interests. Any person holding a position listed in Government Code §87200 or designated in the City's local Conflict of Interest Code adopted pursuant to Government Code §87300, shall file any required Statement of Economic Interest reports (Form 700) online or electronically with the City's designated local filing officer beginning with the effective date of this Ordinance.

C. Filing Confirmation. The designated local filing officer shall issue an electronic confirmation that notifies the filer that the Statement was received, which notification shall include the date and the time that the Statement was received and the method by which the filer may view and print the data received by the designated local filing officer. The date of filing for a Statement filed online shall be the day that it is received by the designated local filing officer.

D. Exceptions.

1. Any elected officer, candidate, commission, committee, or other person who has electronically filed a Statement using the City's online system is not required to file a copy of that document in paper format with the City's designated local filing officer.

2. Section 2-25A.03.A shall not apply to an elected officer, candidate, committee, or other person who receives contributions totaling less than $2,000 and makes expenditures totaling less than $2,000 in a calendar year. At the filer's discretion, the copy may be filed electronically with the City's designated local filing officer.

3. In any instance in which an original statement, report, or other document must be filed with the California Secretary of State or other agency, and a copy of that document is required to be filed with the designated local filing officer, the filer may electronically file a copy with the designated local filing officer.

E. Penalty of Perjury. The on-line filing system shall include a procedure for filers to comply with the requirement that they sign statements, reports, or other documents under penalty of perjury pursuant to §81004 of the Government Code.

F. Electronic Filing System.

a. Safeguards. The online filing system shall ensure the integrity of the data transmitted and shall include safeguards against efforts to tamper with, manipulate, alter, or subvert the data.

b. Standardized Format. The online filing system shall only accept a filing in the standardized record format that is developed by the California Secretary of State pursuant to §84602(a)(2) of the California Government Code and that is compatible with the Secretary of State's system for receiving an online or electronic filing.

c. Inoperability. If, for technical reasons, the City's electronic filing system is not capable of accepting a statement, report, or other document, an elected officer, candidate, committee, or other person shall file that document with the City's designated local filing officer in paper format.

(Ord. 2023-02 § 12, eff. 6/1/23)

A. The filing system shall make Campaign Finance Disclosure Statements and all the data filed available on the City's webpage in an easily understood format that provides the greatest public access. The data shall be made available free of charge and as soon as possible after receipt. Pursuant to the Fair Political Practices Commission Regulation 18313.6, the data made available on the City's webpage shall not contain the street name and building number, phone number, and signature block of the persons or entity representatives listed on the electronically filed forms or any bank account number required to be disclosed by the filer.

B. The City's designated local filing officer shall make a complete, unredacted copy of the statement, including any street names, building numbers, phone numbers, signature block, and bank account numbers disclosed by the filer, available to any person upon request.

C. For paper copies, fees will apply as allowed by the Fair Political Practices Commission and Government Code §81008. Copies must be provided at a charge not to exceed ten cents ($0.10) per page. In addition, filing officers may charge a retrieval fee of up to $5 per request for copies of statements, reports, or other documents that are five years or older. A single request for more than one statement or report is subject to one retrieval fee. Copies may be provided free of charge.

D. The City's designate local filing officer shall maintain, for a period of at least 10 years commencing from the date filed, a secured, official version of each online or electronic statement which shall serve as the official version of that record for purpose of audits and any other legal purpose.

(Ord. 2023-02 § 12, eff. 6/1/23)

The City's designated local filing officer shall be responsible for the efficient administration of the City's electronic filing system for Campaign Disclosure Statements and Statements of Economic Interests. The City's designated local filing officer is authorized to establish, amend, and implement procedures as necessary or convenient to ensure that such system complies with the Political Reform Act.

(Ord. 2023-02 § 12, eff. 6/1/23)