Campaign Finances on Internet Proposed

Taking a page from one of his counterparts in the city of Ventura, Thousand Oaks Councilman Andy Fox has proposed a plan to post campaign finance reports on the city’s Internet site and bulletin board.

Fox is proposing that Thousand Oaks place information from the latest financial reporting period on the Internet as soon as possible. That information from council members and council candidates would be updated when new finance reports are released.

But to get it up and running quickly, the site--at least initially--would not be a complete archive of Thousand Oaks campaign finance, Fox said. He is asking the City Council to consider the idea on Tuesday.

“In the past few years, City Council campaign financing has been discussed as an important issue in local elections,” Fox wrote in a report to the council. “Sometimes, unfortunately, misstatements have been made regarding who has made contributions to individual candidates. With the online capability, the actual financial donations and campaign reporting would be immediately available.”

Ventura Councilman Steve Bennett proposed last week that Ventura post its council candidates’ campaign finance information on the World Wide Web. The Ventura City Council agreed Monday to explore the idea, but if Ventura moves forward with its plan, the first postings would not take place until the 1999 elections, officials said.

Fox said Thousand Oaks could be the first city in Ventura County with Internet-accessible campaign finance information.

“I’d like to do it right away,” Fox said. “I think it’s healthy to have a little competition between the two cities.”