Measure W: Measure W - City Of Berkeley - Charter Amendment Measure

In plain language

Measure W is a Berkeley charter change about elections. A YES vote would lower the fee candidates pay to run for office. It would remove the option to collect signatures instead of paying that fee. It would take some personal details off candidate statements. It would update the rules for initiatives, referendums, and recalls. It would change the timeline for filling Mayor or Council vacancies. It would also raise the yearly cap on public campaign funds. That cap covers administration and enforcement costs. It would rise from $250,000 to $400,000. A NO vote would leave these election rules as they are now.

Fiscal impact

The measure raises the yearly cap on public campaign financing fund spending. This covers administration and enforcement. The cap goes from $250,000 to $400,000 per four-year election cycle. No other dollar amounts are stated.

Impartial analysis

This measure was placed on the ballot by the City Council of the City of Berkeley. If approved, the measure would amend provisions of the Berkeley City Charter pertaining to election administration and procedures and requirements affecting candidates, initiatives, referenda, and recalls, and other changes. The primary changes to the Charter are as follows: 1. Replace the current $150 candidate filing fee with the amount prescribed in the California Elections Code (currently $25). 2. Eliminate a provision providing that candidate statements include the candidate’s place of residence, place of birth and whether the candidate is a taxpayer in the City. 3. Increase the maximum amount of public campaign financing funds which may be used for Berkeley Fair Campaign Practices Commission (“FCPC”) and City staff administrative and enforcement costs related to the public campaign financing program from $250,000 to $400,000, which is subject to cost of living adjustments. 4. Clarify that the requirement that recall proceedings cannot be commenced against an officeholder until that person has held office for at least six months refers to the time in office since the beginning of the officeholder’s current term. 5. Incorporate language regarding recall proponent’s statement and officer’s answer which, consistent with similar language in state law, clarifies that a person may seek a judicial remedy related to insufficiency, or false, slanderous, or libelous material in the statement or answer. 6. Require that a recall proponent’s publication of the notice, statement and answer in a newspaper of general circulation must occur within thirty days of the officer’s answer deadline, and provide that signed petitions must be filed within 90 days of the date of such publication. 7. Change the term “qualified elector” to “registered voter” where registered voter status is currently required by law. 8. Amend election timelines for filling Mayor and Councilmember vacancies. 9. Remove a provision requiring publication of the Charter and City ordinances in book form. 10. Amend provisions regarding processing of initiative petitions to create a deadline for the City Clerk to attach the certificate of sufficiency to a qualified petition, and amend timelines for City Council placement of qualified initiatives on the ballot. 11. Revise referenda provisions to incorporate and follow state law. The measure would also make various non-substantive or clarifying changes to Charter sections affected by the above changes. The Charter amendment will be adopted if the measure is approved by a simple majority of voters. /s/ Farimah Faiz Brown Berkeley City Attorney

Official ballot arguments

Filed for the official voter guide by each side, printed as submitted.

The official arguments will appear here once both sides’ arguments are on file.