Azusa’s Campaign Reform Sets Limits Stricter Than State

The City Council has unanimously approved a campaign reform ordinance stricter than state law, limiting individual and group contributions.

The new law will limit individual contributions to $250 a year, $750 less than the state limit, and will make cash contributions illegal.

Councilman Bruce Latta, who proposed the ordinance, said he got the idea more than a year ago at a League of Cities workshop, where he learned more than 70 California cities have ordinances stricter than the state law.

“This will provide a lot more information to the public,” Latta said. “They will know exactly how much and where contributions come from for each candidate.”

Mayor Eugene Moses, however, voted for the measure despite his feeling that it was unnecessary and insignificant. “Why change something when it’s working right,” Moses said. “I don’t think we have had any problems to warrant a change.

“The ordinance does have some merit though,” Moses added. “I like the idea of not having cash contributions . . . it will make record-keeping more accurate.”

The ordinance will take effect with April elections and includes these provisions for individual contributions:

* Regardless of the amount, all contributions must be made by check or money order.

* The amount to political action committees is limited to $1,000.

* The amount by single-issue PACs is limited to $500.

* For multiple-issue PACs, it is limited to $1,000.

* Candidates will be allowed to keep only $1,000 of leftover campaign money. Anything more than that will be returned to contributors, transferred to the city’s general fund or donated to charitable organizations qualifying for federal income tax exemptions, at the city treasurer’s discretion.