MEETING DATE:
July 22, 2025
SUBJECT:
Title
ORDINANCE NO. 2025-1562 - AMENDING SAN MARCOS MUNICIPAL CODE CHAPTER 2.16 (CONTROLS ON CAMPAIGN CONTRIBUTIONS) TO INCREASE CAMPAIGN CONTRIBUTION LIMITS
Body
Recommendation
Recommendation
INTRODUCE (First Reading) of a proposed Ordinance amending San Marcos Municipal Code Chapter 2.16 (Controls on Campaign Contributions)
Body
Board or Commission Action
Not Applicable
Relevant Council Strategic Theme
Good Governance
Relevant Department Goal
To ensure that the limits on the amounts of money that may be contributed to political campaigns in City elections remain current and enforceable.
Introduction
San Marcos Municipal Code (SMMC) Chapter 2.16 contains the City's campaign regulations. Section 2.16.030 sets limitations on the amounts that individuals and political party committees can contribute to a candidate's campaign. This ordinance would amend the Chapter to increase those limits.
Discussion
The Political Reform Act authorizes cities to adopt campaign contribution limitations applicable to elections for local office. (Government Code ? 85702.5.) Such limitations must be aimed at eliminating the possibility of corruption or any appearance of corruption in local elections and must be weighed against a contributor's First Amendment rights. The City previously adopted such limitations as part of its campaign regulations found in SMMC Chapter 2.16. During a recent workshop, the City Council requested that staff return with recommendations to increase the current limits.
The City's current campaign contribution limits are contained in SMMC section 2.16.030. They establish a limit for individual contributors and a separate limit for political party committees. The individual contributor limit is $250; the committee limit is set at twice the individual limit ($500). During its goal-setting session, the City Council has inquired about these amounts, which were set in 2012. City staff is recommending tha...
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