Councilmember Masuda: ‘I Just Went With My Gut’

A day after the first reading of an ordinance to cap campaign contributions unexpectedly failed in a 4-4 split, the Councilmember who previously supported the ordinance but opposed it on Monday told Pasadena Now he “just went with his gut.”

“It’s not an easy decision,” said Gene Masuda. “That and term limits were always kind of complex to me. I just decided to go with what I felt last night. I just went with my gut.”

The ordinance would have capped individual contributions at $1,000 in council races and $2,500 in mayoral races.

A City Charter amendment would have appeared on the November ballot that would have prevented the City Council from amending the ordinance for four years.

Masuda supported the ordinance in July along with Vice Mayor Steve Madison and Councilmembers Jason Lyon and Jess Rivas.

But on Tuesday, Masuda voted with the opposition: Mayor Victor Gordo and Councilmembers Tyron Hampton and Justin Jones.

It takes at least five votes to pass a motion.

Since Monday’s vote ended in a 4-4 split, the ordinance went down in defeat and there will be no second reading.

“It is not really a cut-and-dried topic like homelessness,” Masuda told Pasadena Now on Tuesday. “There is no absolute answer. I think that’s why it ended up the way it did. Some Councilmembers think it should be lower or higher. It ended in a split.”

The City Council previously had no limit on contributions but was forced to either accept the state limit of $5,500 or craft a City ordinance laying out its own regulations on the matter.

Although locals pushed for limits, an ordinance to stay with no limits on contributions was only opposed by one Councilmember.

The ordinance went to the Legislative Policy Committee and never came back to the City Council. Absent its own policy, the City was forced to adhere to the state limit.

“I think that’s probably okay,” Masuda said. “That’s the state default.”