SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO : Campaign Donation Limit May Increase

The City Council tonight will consider boosting its limit on individual campaign contributions for council candidates from $100 to $250.

The council could overturn a 19-year-old city law and more than double the amount an individual may give to a council candidate for the Nov. 2 election. The change was suggested by Councilman Gary L. Hausdorfer, who said he wanted only to update the city ordinance.

“It’s nearly 20 years old now. I was just trying to make it current,” said Hausdorfer, who is not up for reelection in November. “Obviously, it’s a little easier to raise money in $250 increments. I don’t think that’s exorbitant.”

Hausdorfer said it would be up to each candidate to put his or her own limit on campaign contributions.

“Each individual candidate can choose not to take more. . . . Most of my contributions have been under $100,” Hausdorfer said. “This is not being done as a personal benefit to me at all.”

Mayor Gil Jones said he has no opinion on the limit change since he makes it a rule not to take any campaign contributions. Jones, who was elected to the council in November, 1990, spent $12,000 of his money during his campaign.

“I don’t take any contributions because I don’t want any attachments to anybody,” Jones said.

November’s election will be a race for two seats--those now held by Kenneth E. Friess and Jerry Harris--on the five-member council. Friess has said he would not seek reelection, while Harris, who was appointed to the council last December, has already filed his candidate papers.

Collene Campbell, a former city planning commissioner, has also filed papers.

Both Harris and Campbell ran unsuccessfully in the previous election. Harris, who could not be reached for comment Monday on the new proposal, spent $17,532 during that race, according to papers filed in the city clerk’s office.

Tricia Elflein and Robert Hagstrom have also taken out candidate papers but had not filed them as of Monday.

Potential candidates have until 5 p.m. Aug. 7 to file their papers for the election. If the incumbent Friess does not run for reelection, the candidacy filing period will be extended to 5 p.m. Aug. 12.

Council candidates must be residents of San Juan Capistrano and registered voters.