A proposed increase to $1,000 per person in campaign contribution limits will be coming before the City Council in the next few months following a 4-0 vote June 11 by a Council committee. If passed, the measure would not go into effect until 2009.
The Rules, Open Government & Intergovernmental Relations Committee heard proposals from members of the city’s Ethics Commission, who said San Diego’s current campaign contribution limit of $270 per person in district elections was among the lowest in the state. For citywide offices, such as mayor and city attorney, the current contribution limit is $320 per person.
“Current limits are too low as they stand,” said Ethics Chairman Gil Cabrera.
Contribution limits in the 15 largest California cities range from $500 to $5,000. In Los Angeles, donors are limited to $500 in district elections and $1,000 in citywide contests. In San Francisco, donor limits are set at $500 per person, according to the Ethics Commission.
Council President Scott Peters made the motion to bring the matter before the full City Council and Councilman Jim Madaffer seconded it. Councilmembers Donna Frye and Tony Young also voted for it, but both said they had their doubts about raising it too high too fast.
“It does disenfranchise the smaller contributors,” Frye said. “It’s too great a leap. We need to take smaller steps. We need more discussion.”
Frye suggested that campaign contribution limits be initially raised to $500.
Young said higher limits will give “more leverage” to wealthy voters, and he added that he was unsure of how many millionaire voters live in his 4th District. Young said most voters in his district would or could not contribute $1,000.
Madaffer disagreed, saying, “I don’t see how $1,000 disenfranchises. People will give what they want to give.”
When the first campaign contribution ordinance was passed in 1973, the limit set was $250 per person. Madaffer noted that in 1973, a stamp cost 8 cents and gasoline was less than 50 cents a gallon. City officials raised the limit to $270 in district elections and $320 in citywide contests in 2005.
Ethics Commission executive director Stacey Fulhorst said the Commission heard eight months of public input about raising the campaign contribution limits before bringing the discussion to the Rules Committee on June 11.
Candidates for federal offices are limited to $2,300 per election, and candidates for the state legislature are limited to $3,600 per election.
Commission officials said they did not recommend lifting a ban on contributions from organizations to city candidates.
The full City Council might hear this in a few months, but it is too late for it having any bearing on 2008 elections. The Commission recommended that anything passed by the council would not go into effect until 2009.