Ventura Municipal Code Art. 1 Title, Findings and Purpose

This act may be cited as the San Buenaventura Campaign Reform Act. (Code 1971, § 9.100.010)

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

E. The public’s right to have timely, accurate and reasonably complete information about who is financing a candidate’s campaign is an important part of the democratic process. (Code 1971, § 9.100.020)

It is the purpose of this act:

A. To ensure that individuals and interest groups in San Buenaventura 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 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 the voters.

D. To increase the value to candidates of smaller contributions.

E. To eliminate fund-raising by candidates except during an election cycle.

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

G. To help restore public trust in local governmental institutions. (Code 1971, § 9.100.030)