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Councilmember Todd Gloria: News From City of San Diego - District Three

The San Diego City Council unanimously approved reforms to increase transparency in the referendum process. The reforms require ballot measure committees to file additional campaign statements during the signature gathering period to disclose contributions over $100 and $1,000 in a timely manner. This mirrors existing disclosure rules for traditional political campaigns. Councilmember Todd Gloria, who introduced the reforms, argued they are needed because recent referendums have blocked progressive policies due to deceptive campaigns funded by corporate special interests. The reforms aim to better inform the public about who is funding referendum campaigns.

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33 views

Councilmember Todd Gloria: News From City of San Diego - District Three

The San Diego City Council unanimously approved reforms to increase transparency in the referendum process. The reforms require ballot measure committees to file additional campaign statements during the signature gathering period to disclose contributions over $100 and $1,000 in a timely manner. This mirrors existing disclosure rules for traditional political campaigns. Councilmember Todd Gloria, who introduced the reforms, argued they are needed because recent referendums have blocked progressive policies due to deceptive campaigns funded by corporate special interests. The reforms aim to better inform the public about who is funding referendum campaigns.

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News from

Councilmember Todd Gloria


City of San Diego District Three
NEWS RELEASE
For immediate release: October 6, 2015

Contact: Katie Keach, 619-847-8274

City Council Unanimously Approves Referendum Reforms


Amendments Ensure Greater Disclosure of Petition Funders
SAN DIEGO, CA (October 6, 2015) San Diego City Councilmember Todd Gloria today announced
the City Councils bipartisan approval of his referendum process reforms. The City Council voted
unanimously to amend the Citys Election Campaign Control Ordinance to make required disclosures
for referenda and initiatives consistent with current rules for traditional campaigns.
Today the City Council took a step toward returning the referendum to the people by
increasing transparency and providing more timely disclosure of campaign funders, said
Councilmember Gloria.
The approved amendments include the filing of additional campaign statements with the City Clerk
during the signature gathering period to increase transparency and provide more timely information on
campaign funders.
Specific changes approved today include the following
1)
Require committees formed to support or oppose an initiative or referendum to file a Form 497
within 10 days after petition circulation begins, to disclose contributions of $100 or more
received since January 1 or since the most recent campaign comprehensive statement;
2)

Require committees formed to support or oppose an initiative or referendum to file Form 497
within 24 hours during the signature-gathering phase to disclose contributions of $1,000 or
more; and

3)

Require committees that make independent expenditures to support or oppose an initiative or


referendum to file Forms 496 within 24 hours during the signature gathering phase to disclose
expenditures and funding sources.

These filings mirror the heightened disclosures required by state law for campaign committees in the
timeframe directly preceding a traditional election.
Currently, local ballot measure committees are required to file comprehensive campaign disclosure
statements, also known as Form 460, on a quarterly basis. As such, during the 30-day referendum
period, the public typically has no access to meaningful information regarding the individuals or
entities that are spending money to support or oppose the petition.
In recent years, well-funded corporate special interests intent on buying the results they
could not achieve through the public legislative process have used deceptive referenda to
block progress and subvert the decision of the City Council on the Barrio Logan Community

- MORE -

Plan Update, the affordable housing linkage fee, and the minimum wage increase. By making
fundraising and expenditure reporting requirements consistent with traditional campaign
disclosures, the public will be better informed about the true intent of the measure before they
sign a petition, said Councilmember Gloria.
Last summer, powerful organizations representing national hoteliers and fast food franchises
masqueraded as the Small Business Coalition to fight the minimum wage increase approved by the
City Council. They deceived enough San Diegans to sign a petition that the measures implementation
was put on hold and will appear on the June 2016 ballot. Several hundred San Diegans withdrew their
signatures upon learning the true nature of the petition was to oppose the minimum wage increase.
Had the Small Business Coalition been required to disclose its funders during the signature gathering
period instead of months later, many San Diegans might not have signed the petitions.
On May 14, 2015, Councilmember Gloria brought forward a proposal to the City Council Charter
Review Committee to amend the Citys campaign laws to require more timely disclosure of
contributions and expenditures associated with referendary and initiative petitions. The Charter
Committee unanimously directed the Ethics Commission to consider these proposed amendments
and return to Council with the draft changes to the Citys campaign laws.
Councilmember Gloria is working on additional reforms to the referendum process, which are
expected to be considered by the City Council by mid-November.

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