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Published on 06/02/1997 All articles from this issue

Los Altos City Council caps campaign spending at $12,000

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By Joanne Griffith Domingue / Town Crier Staff Writer

In response to Proposition 208, the campaign spending measure passed by state voters last November, the Los Altos City Council approved a spending ceiling of $12,000 for each candidate for the council elections this fall. That equates to 44 cents per resident of the city.

"More may want to join an election if there's a ceiling, so they don't have to keep fund raising," said Councilwoman Kris Casto at the May 27 council meeting. "This creates an equal playing field."

Councilman Bob Gray said he thought a campaign spending limit may be "putting up a gate to new blood." But he said he thought $10,000 "is enough to run a good campaign."

In 1993, Gray spent $17,293 on his council election.

Councilwoman Patti Williams spoke in favor of a $14,000 campaign ceiling. Gray and Williams agreed to split the difference and voted for the $12,000 limit.

Both Gray and Williams have said they will be running for re-election in the November campaign. Williams spent $12,605 in her 1993 election.

Cupertino recently adopted a limit of $15,000 and Palo Alto voted a cap of $14,000, City Attorney Bob Booth said.

In the 1995 council elections, Councilman Lou Becker spent $12,676; top vote-getter Mayor Francis La Poll spent $11,536; Kasto, the number two vote-getter, spent $9,004.

These expenditure limits are voluntary, and candidates must indicate their acceptance or rejection of the limits.

Council also adopted a contribution limit of $100 per person per candidate.

Candidates may loan up to $20,000 to their campaigns and may contribute unlimited amounts, Booth said.

Los Altos resident King Lear, who has declared he is a candidate for council, said he wanted the contribution per donor to be capped at $100, "to protect the public from undue influence on candidates."