Several sections of Yorba Linda’s ethics ordinance place restrictions on candidates for City Council positions as they conduct campaigns to win terms on the city’s governing body.
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The ordinance, in part, addresses campaign contributions from city contractors and endorsements from city employees, commissioners, city contractors or labor associations affiliated with city contractors. The ordinance was adopted in 2010 on a 3-2 council vote.
The Nov. 3 election includes the 32nd council ballot in the city’s 59-year history. Five candidates are running for two four-year positions, two incumbents and three challengers.
One incumbent is Carlos Rodriguez. He is seeking a third term after running second out of three candidates for two positions in 2018 and first out of three candidates for two positions in 2022. A 30-year-old city ordinance limits an individual to three council terms.
The other incumbent is Janice Lim. She is seeking a second term after running second out of three candidates for two positions in 2022.
The three challengers are chemical engineer and former planning commissioner Robert Pease, engineer and current traffic commissioner Sean Phayakapong and entrepreneur Raymond Potter.
Each of the candidates paid a $776 deposit to have a 200-word statement of qualifications printed in the county’s voter information guide mailed to voters earlier this month. The fee includes translating the statement into Chinese, Korean, Spanish and Vietnamese.
One of the ordinance’s 11 sections is a “prohibition against seeking endorsements from city employees, commissioners, city contractors or labor associations affiliated with city contractors.”
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The prohibition applies to “any city official, candidate for public office or person promoting or opposing a municipal initiative or referendum.” One exception is if a solicitation is part of one “made to a significant segment of the public that may include city employees.”
Another section prohibits campaign contributions from current city contractors or someone who “desires to contract to do business with the city” and applies to any city official. One exception is an employee of a city contractor when the employee resides in the city.
Other ordinance sections regulate when council members can accept campaign contributions from contractors, vote on matters involving contributors and ban misuse of city resources or staff involvement in elections.
An enforcement section calls for violations to be reported in writing to the city attorney, who then notifies the council, which could lead to investigation by the district attorney or special legal counsel.
Candidates for all ballot positions are required to follow the city’s temporary sign ordinance, which places restrictions for posting signs on public rights-of-way and bans signs on city property, in tree wells on sidewalks and in center roadway medians. Signs must be removed within five days after Nov. 3.
Jim Drummond is a longtime Yorba Linda resident. He regularly gives his take on local issues. Send e-mail to [email protected].
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