Mixed Victory in Laguna’s Campaign Reform Measure : Politics: As City Council tentatively OKs the $250-per-person donations limit, it says it may reject tougher aspects.

A campaign reform measure that would limit donations to $250 per person received tentative approval Tuesday from the Laguna Beach City Council.

The council’s unanimous vote left ordinance supporters with mixed feelings, because the council indicated it may reject some of the more stringent aspects of the measure, which was originally crafted by the League of Women Voters of Orange Coast and Orange County Common Cause.

For example, the council has not yet decided whether it will put the $250 cap on “in-kind” donations of things such as professional services or the use of office space.

Final approval by the council is expected within the next month.

After the meeting, Common Cause members gathered outside council chambers to discuss their mixed victory.

“We can’t support an ordinance that’s not complete, that has loopholes you can drive a truck through,” said Common Cause member Brenda Bolanos.Q “People trust us.”

Some residents do not support the measure at all, saying it is too complicated, implies that city leaders can be bought and favors incumbents, three of whom are up for election next November.

“We don’t think this particular ordinance is going to help the situation very much,” said Bob Mosier, president of the Laguna Beach Tax Payers Assn.

But with the cost of elections rising steadily here in recent years, many residents strongly support financial controls to prevent anyone from wielding disproportionate influence in city government. The 1992 election was the most expensive City Council race in this city’s history.

“This can level the playing field for everyone,” Karen Difede told the council. “I hope you will get serious and pass this tonight.”

Before the meeting, Shirley Grindle, who helped craft a similar measure for the county, referred to as the TIN CUP ordinance, said that in considering such reform, Laguna Beach was endorsing a trend in Orange County.

“Our goal is to get a TIN CUP-type ordinance adopted in as many cities as we can to attempt to standardize things a little more,” she said. “There’s nothing unique about Laguna Beach except they do have heated elections, and (even) that’s not unique in Orange County.”

Other cities that have approved similar ordinances with caps ranging from $250 to $1,000 are Orange, Anaheim, Seal Beach and Huntington Beach, Grindle said. Community groups are also rallying in other cities to get such controls in place, she said.

The proposed ordinance would not limit the amount of his or her own money a candidate can spend on a campaign.

While Laguna Beach may not be acting unilaterally, the Council’s action does come at a politically sensitive time for this city, where the terms of all three members who typically form a voting majority will expire at the end of this year.

The original proposed ordinance was strongly supported by Village Laguna, the city’s most powerful political group, but was opposed by United Laguna, a newer group that often has taken a stand in opposition to Village Laguna and will probably try to install new council members in November.