CARLSBAD COUNCIL APPROVES CAMPAIGN CONTRIBUTION LIMITS

Compromise sets cap at $900 for district elections

Carlsbad lowered the limits on individual campaign contributions this week in a compromise that some City Council members said was an effort to level the playing field for local political candidates.

Instead of using the state’s default limit of $4,900 per contributor, the City Council voted 4-1, with Mayor Matt Hall opposed, to set the maximum at $900 for council district elections and $3,100 for the mayoral and other citywide elected offices. The council also added a $10,000 cap on personal campaign loans.

Blackburn and Councilwoman

Cori Schumacher were on a subcommittee that brought the proposed new limits to the council. Schumacher suggested the $900 and $3,100 amounts in what she said was “an attempt to find middle ground,” and Blackburn recommended the city stay with the state’s default amount. He said Tuesday he would vote with the majority to support Schumacher’s recommendation because he wanted to “stop the bleeding” and prevent the limits from going any lower.

Several San Diego County cities have lower contribution limits. Encinitas, Poway and San Marcos have a $250 maximum in council districts, Vista has a $480 limit, and San Diego with $650 for council seats and $1,150 for the mayor and city attorney elections.

Escondido adopted new caps in December that reduced

the maximum individual contribution to $1,000 for council district elections and $1,750 for the citywide mayor and treasure races. Oceanside has no local contribution limits.

Blackburn and Hall said contribution limits don’t work because people will find another way to support their favorite candidate, such as giving money to a political action committee that supports them.

“People will donate what they want to donate, even if they have to find a way to get around the system,” Blackburn said. Money isn’t always the key to winning an election, Hall said.

“A good, strong ground game can outrun the money,” he said.

But Schumacher and others said that lower limits help make it less expensive for people to run for office and encourage more people to get involved in local government.

“I actually found both proposals (Blackburn’s and Schumacher’s) are pretty high,” said Councilwoman Priya Bhat-Patel. “I would say $500 for each district and $1,000 for citywide office.

“The best way forward is to have these lower limits,” Bhat-Patel said. “It’s good to have a broad base of voters contributing small amounts.”

The council also amended its city code Tuesday to simplify local election laws and in some cases make them more consistent with state law, including a provision that will allow elections to be held “wholly by mail ballot” for things such as a special tax or property-related

fees.

And, in an attempt to tone down some of the more hostile public comments at its recent meetings, the council adopted a new statement to be read at the start of the meetings. In recent months many of those comments have been directed at Schumacher, who is the subject of a recall effort announced Monday.

Designed to improve “the tone and tenor of civic dialog,” the statement encourages speakers to treat others with “courtesy, civility, and respect.”

Carlsbad allows people to speak on issues not on the meeting’s agenda, usually no longer than three minutes each, for a total of 15 minutes at the start of each City Council meeting. After the 15 minutes, anyone remaining who wishes to speak must wait until the end of the meeting.