Prop M (among other things) limits campaign fundraising amounts for each elected office and limits fundraising to just the year before and during an election. The intent was to make sure elected officials were focusing on their work and not fundraising.
"Officeholder accounts" were added by the City Council in 1995 and under state government code can only be used for "non political" expenditures.
Now along comes a new city council which doesn't seem too concerned about political reform and is pushing through legislation that would triple the amount that can be raised year round for "officeholder accounts" from $10,000 to $30,000 -- thereby opening the flood gates for donors to give money even when a campaign for office is not scheduled.
Not all cities have "officeholder accounts." Some cities allow an officeholder account only with extra money raised during campaign season.
So three council members opposed tripling the allowable amounts -- they only wanted to double them.
The ethical thing to do now would be to propose (as many other cities have) to put into place a companion piece of legislation: make it illegal for council members to vote on any issue if he or she has received more than $250 in the past 12 months from someone connected with the issue -- usually a contractor or developer. (Can also be extended to a union organization.)
Come on City Council show the voters what you're really made of.
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