Pasadena City Council Ordinance Could Cap Campaign Contributions

The Pasadena City Council will conduct the first reading of an ordinance to establish limits on campaign contributions for municipal elections.

The ordinance amends the City’s municipal code by adding Chapter 9.85. It sets contribution limits of $2,500 for mayoral candidates and $1,000 for candidates running for City Council districts, per election.

This proposal aligns with recommendations from the Charter Study Task Force.

However, although the ordinance limits campaign contributions, it cannot limit a candidate’s ability to self-fund or independent expenditures (IEs).

An independent expenditure supports the election or defeat of a candidate but is not made in coordination with any candidate or campaign.

IEs typically use fictitious names like “Pasadenans for a Better Tomorrow,” making it impossible to know where the money is really coming from.

The money can be used for ads, robocalls, mailers, yard signs, and other communications giving a candidate wide visibility.

Using IEs, unions and corporations sometimes spend millions to help elect candidates, without ever communicating with the candidate.

The City is powerless to limit an independent expenditure, and state law places no limitations on them.

In the 2024 election, the Los Angeles Daily News reported that $4 million in independent expenditures was spent by special interest groups hoping to influence the outcome of the seven L.A. City Council races on the March 5 ballot. And more than half that amount went to two races — both in the San Fernando Valley.

Candidates can also self-fund and pump an unlimited amount of money into their own campaign.

Currently, Pasadena adheres to the state of California’s default campaign contribution limits of $5,500 per election, enforced by the state’s Fair Political Practices Commission (FPPC). The new ordinance would shift enforcement responsibilities to the City, allowing for civil actions, injunctive relief, and criminal prosecution in cases of non-compliance.