LAGUNA BEACH : Group Seeks Limits on Campaign Gifts

Responding to what they say are attempts by “outside interests” to influence events in Laguna Beach, an influential city political group has drafted an ordinance that would limit contributions to local election campaigns.

The proposed ordinance, unanimously endorsed by about 40 Village Laguna members on Monday, would limit individual campaign contributions to $100. The limit would rise to $1,000 per contribution for candidates willing to accept a spending ceiling of $30,000.

“The thing that distinguishes this ordinance from many of the ordinances around is we give a choice to the candidate when they apply,” Village Laguna President Johanna Felder said Tuesday.

The ordinance is expected be presented to the City Council for consideration on May 19.

The action is a response to a political battle that culminated in a special election last November on a measure for rent control in mobile home parks. Opponents spent about $224,000 to keep that law from taking effect, by far the largest amount spent on any campaign in the city’s history.

In all, the victors spent more than four times as much as their competitors, according to campaign spending statements. The most sizable contribution--$147,000--came from Treasure Island Associates, owner of the largest mobile home park in Laguna Beach, with much of the remainder donated from interests throughout the county. Proponents of Measure A spent $59,299, including $5,000 paid by Village Laguna for a mailer, Felder said.

“We felt there were a lot of outside interests that were giving money to set local policy, and we would like to try to avoid that in the future,” Felder said. “Even though we feel we’re in a very special town and we really feel money does not win an election here, it may. If you look at what happened in Measure A, maybe money did win that election.”

Since January, Felder said, Village Laguna members have been grappling with ways to control campaign spending. Aided by political advisers, they studied similar laws in other cities, finally shaping one for Laguna Beach, she said.