West Hollywood : Ceiling on Donations Studied

City Atty. Michael Jenkins and two council aides have been directed by the West Hollywood City Council to research the possibilities of a law limiting campaign contributions to council candidates.

The council asked Jenkins and Michael Linfield, deputy to Councilman John Heilman, and Paul Koretz, deputy to Alan Viterbi, to look into the feasibility of limiting campaign contributions by individuals. They are expected to return to the council with recommendations on the issue by August.

In the city’s two council elections, some candidates have raised as much as $65,000 to spend on a single campaign race.

But in a brief report to the council, Jenkins said the council could not simply limit campaign expenditures for or by candidates. Jenkins also advised the council that the city could not constitutionally pass a conflict of interest law which would forbid council members to vote on legislation affected by political contributions.

Several candidates in last April’s council race complained that council members made questionable votes on city legislation after receiving political contributions that might have affected those votes.