Council to Ponder Campaign Reform

The City Council will consider Tuesday whether to make it illegal for city contractors and developers to contribute to council campaigns.

The proposal could potentially prohibit developer donations to city campaigns and prevent council members who accept donations from voting on issues that affect the developer. The reform proposal is the latest effort to change city politics after several divisive years in which the council has wrestled with the issue.

A similar plan is in effect in the city of Gardena.

“In light of past experiences, if a council member had taken--and many have--contributions from developers and didn’t have the good sense to recuse themselves on a matter before the council, then perhaps it does need to become a legislative issue,” said Councilman Dan Del Campo, who advanced the proposal during his 1998 election campaign.

“[The proposal] would have a two-pronged effect,” Del Campo said. “It will stop a developer from contributing in the hopes of having influence, and it will stop a candidate from accepting the donation, knowing full well that no influence can be given the other way.”

But City Atty. Mark Sellers said political donations are a form of free speech.

“A city has a legitimate interest in preventing corruption in the elective process,” Sellers wrote in a memo to the council. “However, any ordinance on campaign contributions must not be overly broad, since it affects fundamental First Amendment free speech rights. A city should define the evil or corrupting influence it seeks to prevent, then the ordinance must be narrowly tailored to prevent just that specified evil or harm.”

The city’s Campaign Finance Reform Committee, formed after a $500,000 fight over the 1997 recall of then-Councilwoman Elois Zeanah, has already crafted a sweeping election reform ordinance that now limits contributions to $250 per donor.

The committee had considered limiting contributions from developers, but did not include that provision in its final recommendation.