Campaign Finance Rules Related to Board of Education Elections

IMPARTIAL SUMMARY BY SHARON M. TSO, CHIEF LEGISLATIVE ANALYST City Charter Section 803 establishes the campaign finance rules that candidates for the Board of Education for the Los Angeles Unified School District must follow during the election process. City Charter Sections 470 and 471 and Article 9.7 of the Los Angeles Municipal Code establishes the campaign finance rules that candidates for Mayor must follow during the election process. These rules supplement the California Political Reform Act of 1974. The campaign finance rules for candidates for the Board of Education and Mayor are similar, but are contained in different parts of the City Charter as well as the Los Angeles Municipal Code. This measure would clarify the campaign finance rules for Board of Education candidates by amending the City Charter to remove repetitive language in Charter Section 803 and requiring Board of Education candidates to follow the campaign finance rules for Mayoral candidates, as specified in City Charter Sections 470 and 471 and Article 9.7 of the Los Angeles Municipal Code. This measure would apply the same provisions for Mayoral candidates to candidates for the Board of Education, with the exception of those provisions that apply only to candidates for City elected offices, such as the Office of the Mayor, and limitations on contributions from City contractors and lobbyists. If this amendment is approved, the existing campaign rules for both the Board of Education candidates and Mayoral candidates would be as follows: ● Candidates and their donors would be restricted by contribution limits that may be periodically adjusted, with the baseline for these limits maintained at $1,000 for any individual office, and no limit on candidates to contribute personal funds to their candidacy; ● Treasury and financial accountability requirements, such as training, filing deadlines, public disclosures, monitored campaign accounts, and petty cash funds; ● Time limits on contributions and expenditures, including fundraising windows and acceptable uses of funds received in those time frames; and ● Audit and investigative powers of the City Ethics Commission, including criminal and civil enforcement provisions. This measure would allow for additional restrictions or exceptions to be established by ordinance. This measure will become effective if approved by a majority of voters.

FINANCIAL IMPACT STATEMENT BY MATTHEW W. SZABO, CITY ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICER This measure amends the existing campaign finance provisions for the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) Board of Education, by applying the same provisions to school board candidates that mayoral candidates for the City of Los Angeles must follow. Candidates for the LAUSD Board of Education shall not be subject to certain provisions regarding contributions and fundraising (Sections 470(c)(11) and 470(c)(12)), the provisions regarding public matching funds (Section 471), and as otherwise exempted by ordinance. This measure is not anticipated to have a financial impact on the City.

ARGUMENT IN FAVOR OF CHARTER AMENDMENT SC VOTE YES ON CHARTER AMENDMENT SC The City of Los Angeles requires candidates for the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) Board of Education to follow campaign finance rules - such as contribution limits, donor disclosure, and oversight by the City Ethics Commission. These rules apply to LAUSD Board of Education candidates similarly to how they apply to candidates for other elected City offices. The difference does not necessarily lie in the rules themselves but rather in where those rules appear in the City’s Charter. Today, the rules governing candidates for the Board of Education are established in a separate section of the City Charter. They appear on their own rather than in the same section of the Charter that governs candidates for other elected offices, such as the Mayor. Charter Amendment SC is a good governance reform that simplifies the Charter and reduces bureaucratic bloat and redundancy. It eliminates duplicative campaign finance provisions for Board of Education elections and clarifies that those candidates are subject to the same general campaign finance framework that already governs candidates for Mayor. This is a straightforward good-government reform, and it is worth supporting for exactly that reason. Vote YES on Charter Amendment SC. PERSONS SIGNING ARGUMENT IN FAVOR OF CHARTER AMENDMENT SC ADRIN NAZARIAN NICK MELVOIN Los Angeles City Councilmember, District 2 LAUSD Board Member DIEGO ANDRADES CALIFORNIA COMMON CAUSE Former Charter Reform Commissioner LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS OF GREATER LOS ANGELES NO ARGUMENT AGAINST THIS MEASURE WAS SUBMITTED. Arguments printed are the opinions of the authors and are not checked for accuracy by any City agency. In addition, the title beneath a signer’s name is for identification purposes only and does not indicate that the individual is signing on behalf of the organization.