Low Budget for Campaign Funding Plan : Long Beach: Neither side is spending much money on Proposition M, which would reform election expenditures for city offices.

The effort to reform financing of campaigns for city offices in Long Beach--known as Proposition M, on the ballot Tuesday--may be one of the lowest-budget revolutions to hit town.

Proponents of the measure say they have little cash to throw into the campaign and plan to rely on leaflets and volunteers canvassing neighborhoods this weekend to put out the word.

Opponents, mainly Councilmen Jeffrey A. Kellogg and Les Robbins, are doing even less. They are spending about $50 on a few hundred flyers bearing a cartoon showing politicians lined up at a “general fund” spigot to receive public funds for campaigns.

If approved by a majority of voters, the measure will establish voluntary limits on campaign spending and fund raising and will offer matching funds to candidates who qualify. The program would cost taxpayers about $1 million every four years, officials estimate.

Residents will be asked to contribute to a “clean government fund” that will provide matching funds to eligible candidates. The requests will be included in utility bills. If the contributions fall short, the city will draw on the general fund.

According to estimates from City Auditor Gary L. Burroughs, the city would need about $228,000 a year to offer matching funds to all candidates in a four-year election cycle. The fund would also pay for a full-time administrator from the City Clerk’s office to oversee the program.

Candidates who accept matching funds would also agree to spending limits.

Mayoral candidates could spend no more than $200,000 in the primary and $100,000 in a runoff--about half of the record $580,000 that Mayor Ernie Kell spent to win reelection in 1990.

Candidates for city attorney, auditor or prosecutor would face a primary ceiling of $100,000 and a runoff limit of $50,000. The limit on City Council hopefuls would be $40,000 in the primary and $20,000 in the runoff.

The measure would reward candidates who reach out to a network of contributors rather than rely on a few wealthy supporters.

To qualify for matching funds, mayoral candidates would have to raise $20,000 in amounts of $500 or less. Candidates for city attorney, auditor or prosecutor would be required to raise $10,000 in contributions of $350 or less. Public funds would only be offered to City Council candidates who raised $5,000 in amounts of $250 or less per contribution.

Any candidate who agreed to participate, then exceeded spending limits, could be charged with a misdemeanor carrying a fine of up to $500 and a sentence of up to six months in jail. The city also would reserve the right to sue violators.

Supporters and opponents say getting people educated on the issue is an uphill battle.

“It’s a very important issue but not a very sexy one,” said Paul C. Schmidt, political science professor at Cal State Long Beach and proponent of campaign reform.

Kellogg, an opponent, said: “You’ve got a mayoral race and councilmanic races, so all the (voter) interest is diverted into other campaigns.”