Title
WITHDRAWN - Consider Directing Staff to Develop Ethic Rules for Elected Officials Related to Campaign Contributions. (Vice Mayor Knox White) [Note: Vice Mayor Knox White has withdrawn this matter.]
Body
COUNCIL REFERRAL FORM
The Council can take any of the following actions:
1) Take no action.
2) Refer the matter to staff to schedule as a future City Council agenda item.
3) Take dispositive action if sufficiently noticed such that the public and Council have been provided sufficient information by the published agenda, and no formal published notice of a public hearing is required.
Name of Councilmember requesting referral: John Knox White
Date of submission to City Clerk (must be submitted before 5:00 p.m. on the Monday two weeks before the Council meeting requested):
Council Meeting date: 1/7/19
Brief description of the subject to be printed on the agenda, sufficient to inform the City Council and public of the nature of the referral:
Provide direction to the City Manager, City Attorney and City Clerk for the development of ethics rules for Alameda elected officials related to campaign contributions in order to increase transparency related to voting on financial, staffing or property contracts from parties who contribute a certain amount of money (cash or in-kind).
While considering the development of ethics rules, attention should be paid to circumstances where one party receives a sizable donation from a small set of donors (be it self-funded, individuals or organizations) and how to ensure the remaining candidates are not hamstrung by the new rules such that only self-funded or politically supported candidates are able to compete in fundraising for a given race.
Additionally, as the 2020 election season has begun and fundraising efforts are already underway, consideration should be given to whether new campaign funding rules should begin for the 2020 or 2022 elections.
See attached, existing East Bay MUD’s ethics rules that can be used as a guide for developing rules for Alameda’s municipal elections.
As an alternative, looking at publicly funded elections could be investigated and put before the voters in 2020 for use in 2022.
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