3.12.020 - Findings and declarations.
3.12.030 - Purpose of this Act.
This chapter shall be known as the city of Oakland Campaign Reform Act, hereinafter "the Act."
(Ord. 12158 (part), 1999)
3.12.020 - Findings and declarations.
The Oakland City Council finds and declares each of the following:
A.
Monetary contributions to political campaigns are a legitimate form of participation in our political process, but the financial strength of certain individuals or organizations should not enable them to exercise a disproportionate or controlling influence on the election of candidates.
B.
The rapidly increasing costs of political campaigns have forced many candidates to raise larger and larger percentages of money from interest groups with a specific financial stake in matters under consideration by city government. This has caused the public perception that votes are being improperly influenced by monetary contributions. This perception is undermining the credibility and integrity of the governmental process.
C.
Candidates are raising less money in small contributions and more money in large individual and organizational contributions. This has created the public impression that the small contributor has an insignificant role to play in political campaigns.
D.
High campaign costs are forcing officeholders to spend more time on fundraising and less time on the public's business. The constant pressure to raise contributions is distracting officeholders from urgent governmental matters.
E.
Officeholders are responding to high campaign costs by raising larger amounts of money. This fundraising distracts them from important public matters, encourages contributions, which may have a corrupting influence, and gives incumbents an overwhelming and patently unfair fundraising advantage over potential challengers.
F.
The integrity of the governmental process, the competitiveness of campaigns and public confidence in local officials are all diminishing.
(Ord. 12158 (part), 1999)
3.12.030 - Purpose of this Act.
The purpose of this Act is to accomplish the following:
A.
To ensure that all individuals and interest groups in our city have a fair and equal opportunity to participate in elective and governmental processes.
B.
To reduce the influence of large contributors with a specific financial stake in matters under consideration by the city, and to counter the perception that decisions are influenced more by the size of contributions than by the best interests of the people of Oakland.
C.
To limit overall expenditures in campaigns, thereby reducing the pressure on candidates to raise large campaign war chests for defensive purposes, beyond the amount necessary to communicate reasonably with voters.
D.
To reduce the advantage of incumbents and thus encourage competition for elective office.
E.
To allow candidates and officeholders to spend a smaller proportion of their time on fundraising and a greater proportion of their time dealing with issues of importance to their constituents and the community.
F.
To ensure that serious candidates are able to raise enough money to communicate their views and positions adequately to the public, thereby promoting public discussion of the important issues involved in political campaigns.
G.
To help restore public trust in governmental and electoral institutions.
(Ord. 12158 (part), 1999)