Thousand Oaks Split on Campaign Finance Reform

In the wake of an enormously expensive recall fight and a recent judge’s ruling striking down state election spending limits, officials here are considering campaign-finance reform for City Council races.

But, as often happens in Thousand Oaks politics, council members are split on how to accomplish that goal.

In fact, there are dueling reform proposals up for consideration at Tuesday’s City Council meeting.

Following up on an idea he suggested in November, Councilman Andy Fox is asking his colleagues to endorse creation of an “apolitical” citizens’ panel to write regulations that would later go to a public vote.

“I have a great deal of suspicion with politicians writing their own reform measure,” he said Thursday. “I think the people ought to write their own reform measures--not the politicians who have a stake in them.”

At the same meeting, Councilwoman Elois Zeanah will pitch a flat $20,000 voluntary spending cap for any council candidate--one that would kick in before November’s council election.

Her rationale: The less money involved, the less mud slung.

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“The No. 1 concern of mine is the cap,” she said. “I would prefer limits on individual contributions, but that’s too complex for right now. I believe you can run a successful election with $20,000 or less. But you can’t do it if you’re going to allow the influence of special interest money, which results in character assassination.”

The voluntary limit Zeanah is proposing is less than one-tenth the amount spent in last fall’s unsuccessful bid to oust her in a recall drive. In that race, foes spent about $300,000--most of it from pizza magnate Jill Lederer. Zeanah’s backers spent $100,000.

Both council members cited a federal judge’s recent decision tossing out Proposition 208--with its strict $250 contribution limits--as a catalyst for their proposals.

And both Fox and Zeanah--who often wind up on opposite sides of 3-2 council splits--said they did not realize the other was proposing a reform effort on the same day.

Acknowledging she is often on the losing side of council votes, Zeanah said she has little hope of her proposal passing.

“There have been three previous proposals for campaign-finance reform, and they have all gone down in flames on 3-2 votes,” Zeanah said. “But I want to say very clearly that I don’t have a problem with someone else introducing an item. My goal isn’t having my name on it personally--it’s achieving good government.”

While he supports campaign-finance reform in theory, Mayor Mike Markey said he is skeptical it would level the political playing field so long as people can pour their own personal wealth into campaigns unfettered.

But the proposals, he said, “are better than nothing.”

“The problem I have with voluntary spending limits is people say they’ll abide by them, and then, halfway through the race, they change their minds,” he said.

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Markey also said he believes spending caps hurt newcomers who must spend more to get their names out.

Of the two proposals, Fox’s plan is the more detailed.

He suggests having the city manager--or community groups themselves--appoint representatives from the League of Women Voters, Ventura County Taxpayers Assn., Chamber of Commerce and perhaps a local political science professor to the “blue ribbon” citizens’ panel.

Those on the panel would draft possible regulations appropriate for a city the size of Thousand Oaks. Those proposed regulations would be legal and would not infringe on constitutional protections of free speech and political participation.

Fox would like to see the proposed rules go before voters--thus precluding the changes from taking effect in time for this November’s contest.

He also suggests outlawing all stealth political contributions in the last 10 days before an election. It is common for contributors to flood campaign coffers in the final few days, thus making it harder for the public to get a public accounting until after an election.

“I’m more interested in disclosure than [spending] limits,” he said. “I think people in the community want to see well ahead of time where people are getting their money.”