Here is some background information on campaign finance reform in Oakland, courtesy of the Public Ethics Commission:
The California Political Reform Act of 1974 requires all “elected officers, candidates, and committees” to “file semiannual statements each year no later than July 31 for the period ending June 30, and no later than January 31 for the period ending December 31.”1 The Form 460 is the semiannual campaign finance statement which was most recently due July 31, 2013 for the January 1, 2013 to June 30, 2013 reporting period.
The Oakland City Council approved the Oakland Campaign Reform Act (OCRA) in 1999 to provide additional campaign finance restrictions and contribution limits at the local level.
On March 19, 2013, Oakland City Council adopted an amendment to the Oakland Campaign Reform Act that added an electronic filing requirement for local candidates and committees. Under the new ordinance, a candidate or committee required to file campaign statements with the City Clerk under state or local law must file the information electronically, beginning with the first filing deadline following enactment of the local ordinance in March 2013.
The ordinance imposes a late fee, assessed and collected by the City Clerk, of $10 per day, not to exceed the cumulative amount reported in the late statement, or $100, whichever is greater. In addition, the ordinance also authorizes the Public Ethics Commission to impose a fine of $2,000 or up to three times the amount not reported for any violation of the electronic filing requirement.
