Campaign Reform Act Wins Backing : Politics: The City Council gives tentative approval to a plan that would put a ceiling on donations and bar contributions by those who hold or are seeking contracts with the city.

The City Council this week took a step toward curbing the influence of special interests on city elections by initiating a campaign reform act that for the first time sets limits on campaign contributions.

The measure, tentatively approved 6 to 1 Monday, would prohibit donors from giving more than $500 to a City Council candidate and more than $1,000 to a mayoral candidate. In addition, the measure would bar campaign donations by people who hold contracts with the city or are negotiating for contracts.

It is scheduled for final adoption Monday.

Municipal candidates in past elections have received donations from the company that holds the city ambulance contract, financial consultants who handle bond issues for the city, and developers involved in Pomona redevelopment projects. Most of these donations would be prohibited by the proposed measure.

Mayor Donna Smith said reform is needed because of recurring “allegations of votes being bought and sold.” The proposed measure, she said, “will go a long way toward promoting public trust.”

Smith is not seeking reelection, but all three council members who will be on the ballot March 2 voted for the proposal. Councilman Tomas Ursua has declared his candidacy for mayor and Councilmen Boyd Bredenkamp and Ken West plan to seek reelection.

Councilman Willie E. White, whose term expires in 1995, voted against the measure. White said he is not opposed to reform but thinks the change should wait until after the March 2 election because candidates have already made plans. “It’s like we’re changing the rules in midstream,” he said.

Councilwoman Nell Soto wound up voting for the measure but in the council discussion she, too, expressed concern about changing the rules so close to an election. “It’s untimely,” she said.

But Councilwoman Paula Lantz said, “My feeling is that it is very timely.” Candidates still have plenty of time to adjust their fund-raising plans, she said, and if the matter was put off until after the election, everyone would forget about it.

Ursua, too, refused to support the measure until Lantz and West agreed to drop provisions requiring candidates to publicly report all donations above $25, a move that Ursua said would “create an accounting nightmare.”

The council instead voted to require candidates only to list donations of $100 or more, the same standard that now applies to candidates under state law.

The ordinance would give the city clerk the responsibility of administering the regulations and notifying authorities about apparent violations. Candidates convicted of a “substantial” violation could be barred from taking office.

The filing deadline for the March 2 election is Monday for offices in which an incumbent is running and Jan. 4 if the incumbent does not file. The mayor’s office and three council seats will be at stake.

Municipal candidates in Pomona usually spend from a few hundred dollars to tens of thousands of dollars on their campaigns. In the mayor’s race two years ago, Smith won reelection after spending $46,000. The runner-up, Ursua, spent about $30,000 and said he expects to spend about the same amount this time.

Other mayoral contenders said they welcome the campaign reform. Ed Cortez, a member of the Planning Commission, said limits won’t change his plans to raise $20,000 to run for mayor, but he will have to find more small contributors in place of large donors.

“I think it’s a great idea,” Cortez said. “It will help individuals who can’t go out and get big contributions.”

Another potential mayoral candidate, Hal Jackson, a state Youth Authority chaplain, also applauded the limit of $1,000 per donor, noting that it won’t hinder his fund-raising efforts because he does not expect to receive large donations.

“It will not have any effect on me,” he said. “The highest I got last time was $1,500 and that was from my parents.” Jackson raised less than $10,000 when he ran for mayor two years ago.