Despite an August vote asking the City Attorney to return with an ordinance establishing campaign finance reform regulations, the Redondo Beach City Council chose to let the measure die on the floor at their October 11 meeting, amid fights over the ordinance’s language.
The item, which was initially on the night’s consent calendar (a list of items and ordinances that are typically approved in one, sweeping motion), was pulled for discussion by District 2 Councilman Bill Brand.
“I’m not going to vote for it,” Brand said immediately. “There’s no prohibition on contributions from leaseholders in the harbor, no prohibitions for people with contracts with the city or large landowners, and it doesn’t take effect until after the next election cycle.”
Brand also complained that both individual contribution limits and loan limits — $750 for city council candidates, and $1,500 for mayoral candidates — that were approved by the other council members were too high.
He also took issue with the length of the election cycle, believing that it needs to end on the day of the election, rather than six months after.
“Then money pours in [to the winner] and people start trying to curry favor,” Brand said.
District 5 Councilwoman Laura Emdee joined Brand in disapproval, but from a different angle.
“All this measure is going to hurt is anyone who isn’t supported by a [Political Action Committee],” she said. “A PAC gets to spend as much as they want. Someone without PAC support, would get penalized.”
She supported setting campaign finance limits after the Supreme Court’s landmark campaign spending ruling on Citizens United v. FEC is overturned.
Emdee said she hasn’t seen any evidence of corruption or favors granted, as Brand implied, noting that state-mandated donation reporting forms offer transparency in the matters.
“They’re public, everyone understands who’s there, and people donate because they want their candidate to be elected,” she argued.
District 1 Councilwoman Martha Barbee pointed out that the Council has made strides in financing transparency by voting to create an system, starting January 1, for citizens to research 460 forms online.
“You no longer have to go to the City Clerk’s office to get these,” she said. “We’ll be able to go online with a keystroke from home and see exactly who is receiving what.”
A motion to pass the ordinance died without a second. Brand’s substitute motion, with his changes to donation limits, and restrictions against certain donors, was defeated three votes to two.
