HomeMy WebLinkAboutAgenda Bill 5.B-Attch1 06/07/2004June 7, 2004
Honorable Mayor and Members of the Petaluma's City Council:
The League of Women Voters of Sonoma County urges you to adopt the Campaign Finance Initiative
that is on your agenda this afternoon. The League believes that "if enhances the integrity of the voting
process.
By adopting this CFR Initiative the -City Council makes itpossible 'for the Initiative's provisions to
benefit Petaluma's voters in the City Council election this coming November. This is vitally important
for three reasons. It greatly increases the transparency of campaign funding, it more rationally limits
the cash contributions to council candidates, and it saves the voters unnecessary costs.
Voters need to. know who is financially 'supporting the. candidates who. are running for the City
Council. This Initiative requires that the source of all campaign: contributions over $25.00 be made
public. The Ordinance is a great improvement lover the current situation where all contributions below
$100 can be hidden from the view of the voters
In a presentation to the Petaluma City l Council on April 28, 2003, .the president of the League of
Women Voters of Sonoma County, informed the Council.that over 60%,.of California cities that have
campaign finance contribution limits #that are about the ;same size as Petaluma, have contribution limits
of $250 or Less. At the urging, of its voters, the city of Santa Rosa, with a population over 2 1 /4 times
the size of Petaluma, -- reduced its campaign finance limit from $1,000 to $500.
During the six years from 1996 to 2002 (3 election .cycles), total campaign contributions to individual
candidates nearly quadrupled. One must remember that in the 2002 election, these large sums of
money were amassed under the former Ordinance with a $200 contribution. limit. In a letter to the
editor of the Argus Courier dated June 11,'2003, the League wrote -_= "Raising the $200 limit could
increase the perception that the City °Council `is responding toiwell'-furide'd:special interest groups rather
than its citizens ".
gg e a roximately $'10,000 , cost for placing this Initiative on the November
pp
ballot might be used b
er, we su est;that the
g y Petaluma in some more productive manner, perhaps in street maintenance or
repair.
Respectfully submitted,
F
Corol Ann Fontana -Cary
President, Sonoma County League of Women Voters