REPORT TO COUNCIL
SUBJECT
Title
Discussion and Direction Regarding Amendments to Sunnyvale Municipal Code Section 2.28.030 Related to In-Lieu Petitions for Publication Costs of City Council Candidate Statements
Report
BACKGROUND
At the March 3, 2020 election, Sunnyvale voters approved Measure B, changing the Sunnyvale electoral system from seven at-large Councilmembers to a system with six district-based Councilmembers and a Mayor elected at-large. The November 3, 2020 Election was the first election held under the new system, with voters registered in Districts 2, 4 and 6 eligible to vote for a candidate from their respective district and all Sunnyvale voters eligible to vote for Mayor.
Sunnyvale Municipal Code (SMC) section 2.28.030 currently allows candidates for City Council to obtain a subsidy for the cost of publishing a candidate statement for a local election. Pursuant to this SMC section, the City pays the full cost of publishing a candidate statement for any candidates who submit 250 or more signatures, verified by the registrar of voters. Candidates submitting less than 250 verified signatures are eligible for a pro-rated amount based on the number of verified signatures.
On June 9, 2020, Council adopted Resolution No. 998-20 (Attachment 1) waiving the signature gathering requirement in SMC Section 2.28.030 and providing for the City to cover publication costs of all City Council Candidate Statements for the November 2020 General Municipal Election due to the COVID-19 Emergency (RTC No. 20-0498).
On July 14, 2020, Council held a Study Session regarding local campaign finance, including a discussion of the requirements in SMC section 2.28.030 (RTC No. 20-0597). Key areas of discussion about SMC section 2.28.030 included the following comments and ideas:
* Setting the number of signatures required for a full subsidy of a District Councilmember at a number lower than the current 250, possibly 50 or 100 signatures.
* Requiring all candidates to pa...
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