CC Resolution No. 18-018 Adopting a Voluntary Campaign Expenditure Limit of $29,000 for the November 6, 2018 ElectionRESOLUTION NO. 18-018
A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF CUPERTINO
ADOPTING A VOLUNTARY CAMPAIGN EXPENDITURE LIMIT OF $29,000 FOR
THE NOVEMBER 6, 2018 ELECTION
WHEREAS, the City Council adopted Resolution No. 9854 establishing a voluntary
campaign expenditure limit for the 1997 City Council election in order to allow both
candidates and officeholders to spend a lesser proportion of their time on fundraising and
a greater proportion of their time communicating issues of importance to voters and
constituents.
WHEREAS, the City Council has adopted a voluntary campaign expenditure limit
each Cupertino election year since 1997, the most recent being Resolution No. 16-046 which
established a voluntary campaign expenditure limit of $33,000 for the November 2016
election.
WHEREAS, on November 6, 2018, a General Municipal Election will be held to fill
vacant Council seats, and the City Council wishes to apply a voluntary campaign
expenditure limit of $29,000 to that election.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED:
1) Candidates for City Council are requested to limit their campaign
expenditures to $29,000 for the 2018 general election.
2) Any non-monetary contribution is deemed to be a campaign expenditure
made by the receiving committee on the date of receipt, and it counts against the voluntary
expenditure limits established by this resolution if an expenditure for equivalent goods or
services would have been a campaign expenditure described in Attachment A. The amount
of the expenditure shall be the fair market value of the contribution on the date of receipt.
3) In the event that any candidate wishes to abide by the campaign contribution
limit requested by the City Council, he or she may file with the City Clerk a written notice
of his or her intent to limit his or her campaign expenditures to $29,000 for the 2018 election,
and such intent will be indicated in the official voter's pamphlet by a black diamond next to
his or her name.
4) The cost of printing and translating Candidate Statements shall not be counted
against the voluntary expenditure cap of $29,000.
Resolution No . 18-018
Page2
5) The provisions of this resolution have no force of law.
PASSED AND ADOPTED at a regular meeting of the City Council of the City of Cupertino
this 6th day of March, 2018, by the following vote:
AYES:
NOES:
ABSENT:
ABSTAIN:
ATTEST:
Members of the City Council
Paul, Sinks, Chang, Scharf, Vaidhyanathan
None
None
None
APPROVED:
~~
Grace Schmidt, City Clerk ~Paul,Mar:2~
City of Cupertino
Resolution No. 18-018
Page 3
Regulations of the Fair Political Practices Commission,
Title 2, Division 6, California Code of Regulations
§ 18540. Voluntary Expenditure Ceilings
Attachment A
(a) For purposes of Government Code section 85400, campaign expenditures shall be
allocated to primary, general, special, or runoff elections as follows:
(1) Expenditures related to mailing or distribution of campaign literature, signs,
buttons, bumper stickers and similar items, shall be allocated to the next election following
the date(s) on which the expenditures were made or, if the election is held on the date when
the expenditures were made, to the election held on that date.
(2) Expenditures related to publications in broadcast, print or electronic media shall
be allocated to the next election following the date(s) specified in the contract for broadcast,
publication, or dissemination or, if the election is held on the date specified for publication,
broadcast, or dissemination, to the election held on that date.
(3) Expenditures related to telephone banks, including costs of design and operation,
costs of installing or renting telephone lines and equipment, toll charges, personnel costs,
rental of office space, and associated consultants' fees, shall be allocated to the next election
following the date(s) on which the expenditures were made or, if the election is held on the
date when the expenditures were made, to the election held on that date.
(4) Expenditures on professional services, including fees and costs of campaign
consultants and pollsters, shall be allocated to the next election following the date(s) on
which the expenditures were made or, if the election is held on the date when the
expenditure was made, to the election held on that date. In the event that a contract for
professional services allocates specific fees and costs to particular elections, the terms of the
contract will govern allocation of expenditures to each election. If a contract provides for a
bonus payment should the candidate win a particular election, the bonus payment is an
expense of the election whose result triggers the payment obligation.
(5) Overhead expenditures, including expenditures related to the lease of office
space, payments for utilities, rental or purchase of office equipment and furnishings,
miscellaneous supplies, costs of internal copying and printing, monthly telephone charges,
personnel costs, and candidate or staff travel expenses, shall be allocated to the next election
following the date(s) on which the expenditures were made or, if the election is held on the
date when the expenditures were made, to the election held on that date.
Resolution No. 18-018
Page 4
(6) Expenditures related to campaign fundraising shall be allocated to the election for
which the funds were raised. If fundraising expenditures cannot be assigned in this manner
to a particular election, fundraising expenditures shall be allocated to the next election
following the date(s) on which the expenditures were made or, if the election is held on the
date when the expense was incurred, to the election held on that date. Fundraising
expenditures for the payment of debts under Government Code section 85316 shall not be
counted against the voluntary expenditure ceilings established under Government Code
section 85400.
(7) Unless there is a clear indication to the contrary, campaign expenditures not
described in subdivisions (a)(l) through (a)(6) of this regulation shall be allocated to the next
election following the date(s) on which the expenditures were made or, if the election is held
on the date when the expenditure was made, to the election held on that date. Refunds of
any expenditure on goods or services not provided to or used by the campaign shall be
credited to the election for which the expenditure would otherwise have been allocated.
(8) The candidate shall maintain records establishing that his or her allocation of
campaign expenditures under Government Code section 85400 was consistent with the
provisions of the Act and of this regulation. (b) The allocation of expenditures under this
regulation shall be reported pursuant to subdivision (c) of 2 Cal. Code Regs. Section 18421.4.
(c) A non-monetary contribution is deemed to be a campaign expenditure made by the
receiving committee on the date of receipt, which counts against the voluntary expenditure
limits prescribed by Government Code section 85400, if an expfnditure for equivalent goods
or services would have been a campaign expenditure described in subdivision (a) of this
regulation. For purposes of Government Code section 85400, the amount of the expenditure
shall be the fair market value of the contribution on the date of receipt. (d) Expenditures not
counted against the voluntary expenditure limits prescribed by Government Code section
85400 include, but are not limited to, contributions to other candidates or committees, costs
associated with preparing and filing campaign finance reports required under the Act,
candidate filing fees, and costs of ballot pamphlet statements. Note: Authority cited: Section
83112, Government Code. Reference: Sections 82015, 85400 and 85402, Government Code.