TUSTIN : Campaign Reforms May Go on Ballot

A measure proposed by a resident to limit contributions to city election campaigns was welcomed by the City Council but could be left up to voters for final approval.

The City Council voted unanimously on Monday to have the city attorney draw up a measure for campaign reform, using the proposal presented by resident Berklee Maughan as a prototype. The council is likely to leave approval or disapproval of the matter up to voters in the November election.

“I don’t think elected politicians should have the right to change election law,” said Councilman Earl J. Prescott, who supports the proposal. He added that he believes Tustin residents would support campaign reforms.

The proposal, as is, would limit campaign contributions to $100, without imposing any spending limit, or to $500 if the politician agrees to limit campaign spending to $30,000. Also, the measure would prohibit candidates from raising funds prior to six months before the election and would prohibit contributions from anyone who enters into contracts with the city for more than $1,000.

“This ordinance is not perfect because it is impossible to legislate ethics,” said Maughan, who ran for council in 1990. “It is important that the city of Tustin make meaningful progress toward improving campaign reform.”

Maughan said the measure is designed mainly to insure that challengers are given a fair chance to run a campaign comparable to that of the incumbents.

Campaign records filed with the city clerk’s office show that incumbent Councilman Richard B. Edgar, who is up for reelection on April 14, raised more than $8,000 in the three years before the current election year. Edgar supported the proposal, although he said he did not see how challengers would benefit from it.

Prescott and Councilman Jim Potts are also running for reelection, but neither has filed as having received funds for the upcoming election. Challengers in the April race must file campaign fund records by Friday.

City Manager Bill Huston said the proposal, originally written by Robert Stern, co-director and general counsel to the California Commission on Campaign Financing, does more than any other campaign reform measure in the county.