As a preview to the upcoming March elections in Los Angeles County, GrassrootsLab has compiled data on campaign contribution limits for each of the 88 cities in the county.
Most notably, the research illustrates that proportionally few cities have any sort of campaign contribution limits at all. A total of 56 cities – well over half in Los Angeles County – allow for unlimited contributions to city council candidates.
The average city contribution limit for the remaining 32 cities hovers around $550, although a handful of cities have much higher limits. The City of Downey, for example, currently takes the cake with a contribution limit of $1,500. Eight other cities, including the City of Commerce, Gardena, Glendale, South Gate, Torrance, Walnut, Sierra Madre and Cudahy each maintain a limit of $1,000.
Cudahy, however, has found its way back into the public eye with a recent proposal to change their contribution limit. This troubled city originally established a campaign contribution limit of $1,000 in response to corruption issues that have dogged the city in the last couple of years. However, the mayor recently proposed to increase that limit to $9,000 – 6 times higher than that of the current highest in the county. This proposal was tabled, but is still under consideration.
To see where the other cities in Los Angeles County rank in regards to campaign contribution limits, view GrassrootsLab’s infographic Here.