SACRAMENTO – Sen. Bill Dodd, D-Napa, announced legislation today that would place limits on the amount of money that can be donated to candidates for school boards and special district offices, ensuring fairness in local elections.
“Too often, we’re seeing eye-popping amounts donated to candidates for smaller community offices,” Sen. Dodd said. “These well-financed campaigns favor the wealthy at the exclusion of grassroots candidates and people of color. Putting a cap on the money in these races will help ensure fairness in local elections while encouraging a more diverse field that is more reflective of the population.”
California has thousands of publicly elected governing boards managing an assortment of agencies including schools, community colleges and special districts. Elections often receive little media coverage and even less scrutiny of campaign donations, which are not limited by state law and can exceed money given to candidates for higher office. Currently the default is to allow unlimited contributions, and only three special districts statewide have adopted voluntary limits.
In response, Sen. Dodd introduced Senate Bill 328, which sets an individual donation limit of $5,500 by a person, business or committee to a candidate for school board, community college board or special district board. The contribution limits are equal to those set for the state Legislature. The bill would allow local governments to vote to adjust the limits, but the default would no longer be unlimited. The bill uses the framework of then-Assemblymember Kevin Mullin’s Assembly Bill 571 that set the same limits for city and county offices in 2019.
“No candidate for local office needs contributions larger than those for a Senate or Assembly district,” added Sen. Dodd.
SB 328 was introduced Tuesday. It is expected to be heard in committee next month.
“Promoting transparency and accountability in our political campaigns and our elections has always been a top priority for me,” said U.S. Rep. Mullin, who was elected to Congress last year. “This is a good governance measure that will help maintain the public trust in our local elections. I appreciate Sen. Dodd carrying on that legacy and I’m proud to support this important reform.”
Senator Bill Dodd represents the 3rd Senate District, which includes all or portions of Napa, Solano, Yolo, Sonoma, Contra Costa, and Sacramento counties. You can learn more about the district and Senator Dodd at www.sen.ca.gov/dodd.
Editors Note: From an article we posted back when City of Brentwood was working to limit campaign contributions to $500.
In July, the Brentwood City Council approved two ordinances which establish a campaign contributions limit for candidates running for city elected office. They were approved in a 4-0 vote. Under an “urgency ordinance” and a “non-urgency ordinance” and would limit campaign contributions to $500 per person, per election for a candidate running for elected office.
Candidate committees versus other political committees, and candidate self donations
The United States Supreme Court has generally upheld limits on contributions to candidates, but not to other types of political committees that are not controlled by candidates. Thus, the Court has struck down limits on contributions to independent expenditure committees, ballot measure committees, and general-purpose committees (PACs) that are not controlled by candidates. In addition, the Court has held that a candidate can loan or contribute unlimited amounts to their own campaign because such activity – contributing to one’s own campaign – does not involve the possibility of corruption. The attached ordinances adhere to these constitutional constraints.
Under Assembly Bill 571 which became law in January 2021, it gave cities the discretion to either set contribution limits of their own choosing (including having no limits on contributions) or default to the State’s contribution limit. Because Brentwood has not adopted a different contribution limit, the current State default limit of $4,900 per election per source applies in the City. Under State law, the default contribution limit increases every two years to account for inflation.
A look at campaign donation limits from other cities across California according to the FPPC.
- $4,400: City of Fresno (limits committee donations to $8,800)
- $2,500: City of Richmond
- $2,000: City of Vacaville (at large candidate)
- $1,554: City of Hayward
- $1,000: City of San Diego (Mayor’s Race) – Council is $500 limit
- $1,000: City of Turlock (per election cycle)
- $1,000: City of Vacaville (by district)
- $760: Dana Point
- $500: City of Burlingame
- $500: City of Chico (per election)
- $500: City of Dublin
- $500: City of Fremont
- $500: City of Healdsburg
- $500: City of Merced or $2,000 per election.
- $500: City of Milpitas
- $500: City of Monterey
- $500: City of Pinole (note – in-kind contributions of $1k per person or $2k by political committee
- $500: City of Pleasant Hill or $2,000 from a political committee
Note – in-kind contributions of $1k per person or $2k by political committee. - $500: City of Roseville or $250 if you don’t accept voluntary campaign limits.
- $500: City of Santa Rosa
- $500: City of Sausalito
- $400: City of Monterey
- $400: City of Navoto
- $300: City of Irvine
- $250: Agoura Hills
- $250: City of Benicia
- $250: West Sacramento
- $150: City of Folsom
- $125: City of Beverely Hills (This limit increases to $450 if the candidate agrees to spend $80,000 or less.)
More Notes:
- On March 17, 2021, the City of Bakerfield lifted its $4,700 cap and now have no campaign contribution limits.
- On June 20, 2020, City of Monterey established a $0.60 per resident meaning campaigns could voluntarily spend no more than $36,000 per election.
- On July 24, 2017, city of Livermore abolished its campaign limits for elections. Prior to this, the limit was $250. At this time, the Mayor stated lifting the campaign limits leveled the playing field.
- On Nov. 8, 2016, the City Council of Cupertino limited council spending on elections to $33,000.
