§ 3.12.050. Limitations on contributions from persons.

A.

No person shall make to any candidate and the controlled committee of such a candidate, and no candidate and the candidate's controlled committee shall receive from any such person, a contribution or contributions totaling more than one hundred dollars ($100.00), adjusted annually pursuant to Subsection F., for each election except as stated in Subsection B. of this Section.

B.

For candidates who adopt the expenditure ceilings as defined in Article IV of this Act, no person shall make to a candidate and the controlled committee of such candidate, and no such candidate and the controlled committee of such candidate shall receive contributions totaling more than five hundred dollars ($500.00), adjusted annually pursuant to Subsection F., from any person for each election.

C.

Any person who makes independent expenditures supporting or opposing a candidate shall not receive any contribution for the purpose of influencing elections for City Office in excess of the amounts stated in Subsection A.

D.

This Section is not intended to prohibit or regulate contributions to persons or broad based political committees for the purpose of influencing elections for offices other than City offices.

E.

Persons making independent expenditures supporting or opposing a candidate shall separately account for contributions received and contributions or expenditures made for the purpose of influencing such elections for City office. Where a person has separately accounted for such contributions and expenditures for such elections for City office, contributors to that person may contribute more than the amount set forth in Subsection A. of this Section, so long as no portion of the contribution in excess of the set forth amounts is used to influence elections for City office.

F.

Beginning January 1, 2017, the Public Ethics Commission shall once annually, on a calendar year basis, increase the contribution limitation amounts upon a finding that the cost of living in the immediate San Francisco Bay Area, as shown on the Consumer Price Index (CPI) for all items in the San Francisco Bay Area as published by the U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Statistics, has increased. The increase of the contribution limitation amounts shall not exceed the CPI increase, using 1999 as the index year. The adjustment shall be rounded to the nearest one hundred (100). The Public Ethics Commission shall publish the contribution limitation amounts no later than February 1st of each year.

(Ord. No. 13399, § 1, 11-29-2016)