More money could be flowing into local elections in Novato under a city proposal to increase the maximum campaign donation limit to $1,000.
The Novato City Council voiced support this week for increasing the individual donation limit from the current $400 to $1,000. The limit would also be increased each year based on cost-of-living adjustments in the regional consumer price index.
State law allows for individual contributions of up to $4,900 to candidates and campaigns but does allow local governments to impose lower limits if they choose to.
The change is one of several campaign finance reforms the council has been considering since 2019 at the request of Councilwoman Pat Eklund.
Eklund said the Novato Political Reform Act has not been updated for about 15 years.
“The cost of living has gone up, the cost of doing elections has gone up,” Eklund said. “In my opinion, you have to allow people who want to run to be able to help communicate with their constituents.”
The council is also looking to change how campaigns and political action committees disclose financial contributions.
One proposal is to require political action committees and independent expenditure committees to file a disclosure form any time they receive a contribution of $1,000 or more, including the identity of the donor.
Currently, these committees do not need to disclose the contributions they receive until they have spent $1,000 in support of a candidate or campaign within 90 days of an…
