Anchor ads are not supported on this page.

4S Ranch Allied Gardens Alpine Baja Balboa Park Bankers Hill Barrio Logan Bay Ho Bay Park Black Mountain Ranch Blossom Valley Bonita Bonsall Borrego Springs Boulevard Campo Cardiff-by-the-Sea Carlsbad Carmel Mountain Carmel Valley Chollas View Chula Vista City College City Heights Clairemont College Area Coronado CSU San Marcos Cuyamaca College Del Cerro Del Mar Descanso Downtown San Diego Eastlake East Village El Cajon Emerald Hills Encanto Encinitas Escondido Fallbrook Fletcher Hills Golden Hill Grant Hill Grantville Grossmont College Guatay Harbor Island Hillcrest Imperial Beach Imperial Valley Jacumba Jamacha-Lomita Jamul Julian Kearny Mesa Kensington La Jolla Lakeside La Mesa Lemon Grove Leucadia Liberty Station Lincoln Acres Lincoln Park Linda Vista Little Italy Logan Heights Mesa College Midway District MiraCosta College Miramar Miramar College Mira Mesa Mission Beach Mission Hills Mission Valley Mountain View Mount Hope Mount Laguna National City Nestor Normal Heights North Park Oak Park Ocean Beach Oceanside Old Town Otay Mesa Pacific Beach Pala Palomar College Palomar Mountain Paradise Hills Pauma Valley Pine Valley Point Loma Point Loma Nazarene Potrero Poway Rainbow Ramona Rancho Bernardo Rancho Penasquitos Rancho San Diego Rancho Santa Fe Rolando San Carlos San Marcos San Onofre Santa Ysabel Santee San Ysidro Scripps Ranch SDSU Serra Mesa Shelltown Shelter Island Sherman Heights Skyline Solana Beach Sorrento Valley Southcrest South Park Southwestern College Spring Valley Stockton Talmadge Temecula Tierrasanta Tijuana UCSD University City University Heights USD Valencia Park Valley Center Vista Warner Springs

Chula Vista goes all 21st Century

Council votes to require electronic filing of disclosure statements

John McCann in 2012
John McCann in 2012

Chula Vista has tiptoed closer to transparency. On November 3, the city council approved an ordinance that compels elected officers and candidates to electronically file economic interest statements, also known as Form 700, and campaign disclosure statements, or Form 460.

The portal for the economic interest forms is already up on the city website. Filers also must disclose gifts they receive.

The drawback to the new ordinance is that the electronic filing will not be mandated until July 1, 2017 — after the next election cycle. In 2016, two city-council seats will be open.

Sponsored
Sponsored

Economic interest forms (700), filed annually by public officials, consultants, volunteer boardmembers, and some city government employees, ensure that business, personal, or volunteer affiliations are disclosed and evaluated.

City of Chula Vista's new web page

All but one councilmember, John McCann, has filed an economic interest form online with the city. However, all councilmembers’ 2014 forms are available at the state Fair Political Practices Commission site.

Although campaign disclosure statements (460) will not be mandatory until 2017, the city clerk stated in an email, “The electronic filing of Campaign Forms was just approved by Council and we are in the process of setting the site up. We expect it to be up and running by the end of the year. Old forms won't be available through the new system, but can still be requested by emailing us or coming to the office.”

But beyond these steps toward transparency, many are hoping that Chula Vista will finally compel lobbyists to register as well. There was an attempt in 2006 to require this: an ordinance was brought forward by former councilmember Patricia Chavez.

A Star News article from that time, titled, “City Council delays vote on lobbyist ordinance,” recounts how a representative from the Building Industry Association, Jerry Livingston, who is himself a lobbyist, argued against the ordinance: “Livingston took aim at the tracking of charitable donations at the behest of officials and candidates, which the ordinance requires. He threatened pulling support by his members of city and council-connected concerns.” Money is sometimes donated to a politician’s favorite charity to curry favor with that politician.

According to the article, then councilmember John McCann said: “I think there’s enough concern that we will have to take a look, but I am confident we will bring something back that does not have a potential chilling effect on charitable donations, but we really want to make sure that the ordinance we implement is understandable to the average citizen.” McCann was reelected in November 2014. The ordinance was voted down and sent back to committee, never to re-merge.

Donna Frye

Former San Diego City Council member Donna Frye is the president of Californians Aware, a nonprofit group that helps citizens with rights and finding out “what they need to know to be truly self-governing.” When asked via email about the importance of these campaign disclosure documents and lobbyist registration, Frye wrote: “You can tell quite a bit about a candidate by who their supporters are.”

“The public has a right to know who is meeting with their elected officials and why,” continued Frye. “Lobbyists are paid to push a particular political agenda and influence the elected official’s vote. It is beneficial for the public to know how often an elected official is lobbied and the issue that was discussed, because it helps shine some light on how elected officials make decisions. It also helps the public determine if they are being given the same access as the lobbyists.  

“It is especially instructive for the public to look at both campaign donor disclosures and lobbyist disclosures and see if there may be a correlation between the two as it relates to access to the elected official.” 

The latest copy of the Reader

Please enjoy this clickable Reader flipbook. Linked text and ads are flash-highlighted in blue for your convenience. To enhance your viewing, please open full screen mode by clicking the icon on the far right of the black flipbook toolbar.

Here's something you might be interested in.
Submit a free classified
or view all
Previous article

Jacobs Music Center Grand Opening

The concert did what it was designed to do
John McCann in 2012
John McCann in 2012

Chula Vista has tiptoed closer to transparency. On November 3, the city council approved an ordinance that compels elected officers and candidates to electronically file economic interest statements, also known as Form 700, and campaign disclosure statements, or Form 460.

The portal for the economic interest forms is already up on the city website. Filers also must disclose gifts they receive.

The drawback to the new ordinance is that the electronic filing will not be mandated until July 1, 2017 — after the next election cycle. In 2016, two city-council seats will be open.

Sponsored
Sponsored

Economic interest forms (700), filed annually by public officials, consultants, volunteer boardmembers, and some city government employees, ensure that business, personal, or volunteer affiliations are disclosed and evaluated.

City of Chula Vista's new web page

All but one councilmember, John McCann, has filed an economic interest form online with the city. However, all councilmembers’ 2014 forms are available at the state Fair Political Practices Commission site.

Although campaign disclosure statements (460) will not be mandatory until 2017, the city clerk stated in an email, “The electronic filing of Campaign Forms was just approved by Council and we are in the process of setting the site up. We expect it to be up and running by the end of the year. Old forms won't be available through the new system, but can still be requested by emailing us or coming to the office.”

But beyond these steps toward transparency, many are hoping that Chula Vista will finally compel lobbyists to register as well. There was an attempt in 2006 to require this: an ordinance was brought forward by former councilmember Patricia Chavez.

A Star News article from that time, titled, “City Council delays vote on lobbyist ordinance,” recounts how a representative from the Building Industry Association, Jerry Livingston, who is himself a lobbyist, argued against the ordinance: “Livingston took aim at the tracking of charitable donations at the behest of officials and candidates, which the ordinance requires. He threatened pulling support by his members of city and council-connected concerns.” Money is sometimes donated to a politician’s favorite charity to curry favor with that politician.

According to the article, then councilmember John McCann said: “I think there’s enough concern that we will have to take a look, but I am confident we will bring something back that does not have a potential chilling effect on charitable donations, but we really want to make sure that the ordinance we implement is understandable to the average citizen.” McCann was reelected in November 2014. The ordinance was voted down and sent back to committee, never to re-merge.

Donna Frye

Former San Diego City Council member Donna Frye is the president of Californians Aware, a nonprofit group that helps citizens with rights and finding out “what they need to know to be truly self-governing.” When asked via email about the importance of these campaign disclosure documents and lobbyist registration, Frye wrote: “You can tell quite a bit about a candidate by who their supporters are.”

“The public has a right to know who is meeting with their elected officials and why,” continued Frye. “Lobbyists are paid to push a particular political agenda and influence the elected official’s vote. It is beneficial for the public to know how often an elected official is lobbied and the issue that was discussed, because it helps shine some light on how elected officials make decisions. It also helps the public determine if they are being given the same access as the lobbyists.  

“It is especially instructive for the public to look at both campaign donor disclosures and lobbyist disclosures and see if there may be a correlation between the two as it relates to access to the elected official.” 

Comments
Sponsored

The latest copy of the Reader

Please enjoy this clickable Reader flipbook. Linked text and ads are flash-highlighted in blue for your convenience. To enhance your viewing, please open full screen mode by clicking the icon on the far right of the black flipbook toolbar.

Here's something you might be interested in.
Submit a free classified
or view all
Previous article

Quill & Arrow Law is Saving Drivers Around California with Lemon Law

Next Article

Clikatat Ikatowi returns to the Casbah for October 8 show

Venue saw the band’s last performance over a quarter century ago
Comments
Ask a Hipster — Advice you didn't know you needed Big Screen — Movie commentary Blurt — Music's inside track Booze News — San Diego spirits Classical Music — Immortal beauty Classifieds — Free and easy Cover Stories — Front-page features Drinks All Around — Bartenders' drink recipes Excerpts — Literary and spiritual excerpts Feast! — Food & drink reviews Feature Stories — Local news & stories Fishing Report — What’s getting hooked from ship and shore From the Archives — Spotlight on the past Golden Dreams — Talk of the town The Gonzo Report — Making the musical scene, or at least reporting from it Letters — Our inbox Movies@Home — Local movie buffs share favorites Movie Reviews — Our critics' picks and pans Musician Interviews — Up close with local artists Neighborhood News from Stringers — Hyperlocal news News Ticker — News & politics Obermeyer — San Diego politics illustrated Outdoors — Weekly changes in flora and fauna Overheard in San Diego — Eavesdropping illustrated Poetry — The old and the new Reader Travel — Travel section built by travelers Reading — The hunt for intellectuals Roam-O-Rama — SoCal's best hiking/biking trails San Diego Beer — Inside San Diego suds SD on the QT — Almost factual news Sheep and Goats — Places of worship Special Issues — The best of Street Style — San Diego streets have style Surf Diego — Real stories from those braving the waves Theater — On stage in San Diego this week Tin Fork — Silver spoon alternative Under the Radar — Matt Potter's undercover work Unforgettable — Long-ago San Diego Unreal Estate — San Diego's priciest pads Your Week — Daily event picks
4S Ranch Allied Gardens Alpine Baja Balboa Park Bankers Hill Barrio Logan Bay Ho Bay Park Black Mountain Ranch Blossom Valley Bonita Bonsall Borrego Springs Boulevard Campo Cardiff-by-the-Sea Carlsbad Carmel Mountain Carmel Valley Chollas View Chula Vista City College City Heights Clairemont College Area Coronado CSU San Marcos Cuyamaca College Del Cerro Del Mar Descanso Downtown San Diego Eastlake East Village El Cajon Emerald Hills Encanto Encinitas Escondido Fallbrook Fletcher Hills Golden Hill Grant Hill Grantville Grossmont College Guatay Harbor Island Hillcrest Imperial Beach Imperial Valley Jacumba Jamacha-Lomita Jamul Julian Kearny Mesa Kensington La Jolla Lakeside La Mesa Lemon Grove Leucadia Liberty Station Lincoln Acres Lincoln Park Linda Vista Little Italy Logan Heights Mesa College Midway District MiraCosta College Miramar Miramar College Mira Mesa Mission Beach Mission Hills Mission Valley Mountain View Mount Hope Mount Laguna National City Nestor Normal Heights North Park Oak Park Ocean Beach Oceanside Old Town Otay Mesa Pacific Beach Pala Palomar College Palomar Mountain Paradise Hills Pauma Valley Pine Valley Point Loma Point Loma Nazarene Potrero Poway Rainbow Ramona Rancho Bernardo Rancho Penasquitos Rancho San Diego Rancho Santa Fe Rolando San Carlos San Marcos San Onofre Santa Ysabel Santee San Ysidro Scripps Ranch SDSU Serra Mesa Shelltown Shelter Island Sherman Heights Skyline Solana Beach Sorrento Valley Southcrest South Park Southwestern College Spring Valley Stockton Talmadge Temecula Tierrasanta Tijuana UCSD University City University Heights USD Valencia Park Valley Center Vista Warner Springs
Close

Anchor ads are not supported on this page.

This Week’s Reader This Week’s Reader