Chapter 2.56
MUNICIPAL ELECTIONS AND ELECTRONIC FILING
Sections:
2.56.010 Term limits.
2.56.020 General municipal elections designated.
2.56.030 Electronic and paperless filing of Fair Political Practices Commission campaign disclosure statements.
2.56.010 Term limits.
A. No person may hold the office of councilmember for more than two terms in succession. This provision does not prohibit holding the office for more than two terms.
B. “Term of office” as used in this section is defined as a four-year term.
C. For the purpose of determining the number of terms of office only those terms of office occurring after the effective date of the ordinance codified in this section shall be counted. (Ord. 667 § 4, 2023)
2.56.020 General municipal elections designated.
After January 1, 2018, the general municipal elections of the city shall be consolidated with the statewide election date in accordance with Elections Code Sections 1301, 10000 to 10735, and 14050 to 14057, as amended. The terms for the local elected officials that are scheduled to end in 2017 and 2019 are hereby extended by twelve months. As used in this section, “twelve months” means the period between the day upon which the term of office would otherwise have commenced and the first Tuesday after the second Monday in the twelfth month before or after that day, inclusive. (Ord. 667 § 4, 2023)
2.56.030 Electronic and paperless filing of Fair Political Practices Commission campaign disclosure statements.
A. Definitions. The following definitions apply for the purposes of this section:
“Candidate” shall mean a candidate, as that phrase is defined in Section 82007 of the Government Code, as may be amended from time to time, for any city elective office for any general, special or recall election.
“Committee” has the meaning set forth in Section 82013 of the Government Code, as may be amended from time to time.
“Contribution” has the meaning set forth in Section 82015 of the Government Code, as may be amended from time to time.
“Electronic filing system” shall mean the electronic online filing and data storage system provided for by the city clerk for campaign statements, reports, forms, or other documents filed pursuant to Government Code Section 81000 et seq.
“Person” has the meaning set forth in Section 82047 of the Government Code, as may be amended from time to time.
“Statements” shall mean any statements, reports, forms or other documents required by Government Code Chapter 4 – Political Reform Act (Section 81000 et seq.), as may be amended from time to time.
B. Any elected officer, candidate, commission, committee, or other person required to file campaign disclosure statements, reports, forms or other documents required by Government Code Chapter 4 (Campaign Disclosure) – Political Reform Act (Section 84100 et seq.) shall file those statements, reports, or other documents online or electronically with the electronic filing system unless exempt from the requirement to file online pursuant to Government Code Section 84615(a) because the officer, candidate, or committee or person receives less than two thousand dollars in contributions and makes less than two thousand dollars in expenditures in a calendar year.
C. In any instance in which an original statement, report or other document required by Government Code Chapter 4 (Campaign Disclosure) – Political Reform Act (Section 84100 et seq.) must be filed with the California Secretary of State and a duplicate or copy of that statement, report or other document is required to be filed with the city clerk, the filer may, but is not required to, file the copy electronically.
D. The electronic filing system shall ensure the integrity of the data transmitted and shall include safeguards against efforts to tamper with, manipulate, alter, or subvert the data.
E. The electronic filing system shall only accept a filing in the standardized record format that is developed by the California Secretary of State pursuant to Section 84602(a)(2) of the California Government Code and that is compatible with the Secretary of State’s system for receiving an online or electronic filing.
F. The electronic filing system shall include a procedure for filers to comply with the requirement that they sign statements and reports under penalty of perjury pursuant to Section 81004 of the Government Code.
G. Any elected officer, candidate, committee or person who has electronically filed a statement required by subsection B of this section using the electronic filing system is not required to file a duplicate copy of that document in paper format with the city clerk.
H. The city clerk shall issue an electronic confirmation that notifies the filer that the statement was received, the notification shall include the date and the time that the statement was received and the method by which the filer may view and print the data received by the city clerk. The date of filing for a statement filed online shall be the day that it is received by the city clerk.
I. If the electronic filing system is not capable of accepting a statement due to technical difficulties, an elected officer, candidate, or committee or other person shall timely file that statement required by subsection B of this section in paper format with the city clerk, unless otherwise directed by the city clerk.
J. The electronic filing system shall enable electronic filers to complete and submit statements or other filings free of charge.
K. The electronic filing system shall make all the data filed pursuant to subsection B of this section available on the city’s webpage in an easily understood format that provides the greatest public access. The data shall be made available free of charge and as soon as possible after receipt. The data made available on the city’s webpage shall be redacted to remove the street name and building number of the persons or entity representatives listed or any bank account number required to be disclosed by the filer.
L. The city clerk’s office shall maintain, for a period of at least ten years commencing from the date filed, a secured, official version of each statement filed on the electronic filing system pursuant to subsection B of this section, which shall serve as the official version of that record for purpose of audits and any other legal purpose.
M. The city clerk is authorized to adopt such administrative policies and procedures as deemed necessary by the city clerk to implement this Section 2.56.030. (Ord. 667 § 4, 2023)