Base Level of Campaign Statements and Disclosures
San Diego Municipal Code § 27.2930
in effect§27.2930 Base Level of Campaign Statements and Disclosures
Each candidate and committee shall file campaign statements in the time and manner required by California Government Code sections 81000 et seq. and title 2 of the California Code of Regulations with the following additional requirements:
(a) Every candidate and controlled committee for elective City office that has pre-election filing obligations with the City Clerk pursuant to California Government Code section 84200.5 shall, on the Friday before the election, disclose on a Fair Political Practices Commission Form 497 filed with the City Clerk all previously undisclosed contributions of $100 or more received after the closing date of its most recent Fair Political Practices Commission Form 460.
(1) The Form 497 shall have a closing date of the Wednesday before the election and shall cover all contributions received through that day.
(2) The Form 497, if not filed electronically in accordance with section 27.2931, shall be filed using a shipping service with delivery guaranteed by the Monday before the election, or by personal delivery.
(b) When reporting contributions for regularly scheduled City candidate elections, candidates and committees shall include the notation “(P)” for all contributions that the contributor has designated for a primary election, and shall include the notation “(G)” for all contributions that the contributor has designated for a general election. In instances where the contributor has not designated their contribution for a particular election, the candidate or committee shall include the notation “(P)” for all contributions the candidate or committee has allocated for the primary election, and shall include the notation “(G)” for all contributions the candidate or committee has allocated for the general election.
(c) When reporting contributions for specially scheduled City candidate elections, candidates and committees shall include the notation “(S)” for all contributions that the contributor has designated for a special election, and shall include the notation “(R)” for all contributions that the contributor has designated for a special run-off election. In instances where the contributor has not designated their contribution for a particular election, the candidate or committee shall include the notation “(S)” for all contributions the candidate or committee has allocated for the special election, and shall include the notation “(R)” for all contributions the candidate or committee has allocated for the special run-off election.
(d) In conjunction with making the notations required by subsections (b) and (c), candidates and committees shall disclose the cumulative amount of contributions received from the contributor for each election.
(e) Sponsors and sponsored committees participating in City elections are subject to the reporting obligations set forth in title 2, section 18419 of the California Code of Regulations.
(f) Every City primarily formed recipient committee formed to support or oppose the qualification of an initiative or referendum measure prior to the commencement of the petition drive shall, within 10 calendar days of the commencement of the petition drive, file a Fair Political Practices Commission Form 497 with the City Clerk disclosing all contributions of $100 or more received after the closing date of its most recent Fair Political Practices Commission Form 460, or if the primarily formed recipient committee has not previously filed a Form 460, the Form 497 shall instead disclose all contributions of $100 or more received since January 1 of that year.
(1) For purposes of subsections (f) and (g), a petition drive commences when the proponent of an initiative or referendum measure begins circulating a petition for signatures.
(2) The Form 497 shall have a closing date of the day immediately preceding the commencement of the petition drive.
(3) The Form 497, if not filed electronically in accordance with section 27.2931, shall be filed using a shipping service with delivery guaranteed no later than 12 calendar days after the commencement of the petition circulation.
(g) For the period of time that begins with the commencement of a petition drive to qualify an initiative or referendum measure and concludes with the day that the petition is submitted to the City Clerk:
(1) every City primarily formed recipient committee formed to support or oppose the qualification of the measure shall file with the City Clerk, within 24 hours of receiving a monetary contribution of $1,000 or more or within 48 hours of receiving a non-monetary contribution of $1,000 or more, a Fair Political Practices Commission Form 497 disclosing the receipt of that contribution.
(2) every City committee that is not formed to support or oppose the qualification of the measure shall file with the City Clerk, within 24 hours of making an independent expenditure of $1,000 or more supporting or opposing the qualification of the measure, a Fair Political Practices Commission Form 496 disclosing the making of the independent expenditure and the committee’s receipt of contributions of $100 or more received after the closing date of the committee’s last campaign statement.
(3) The Forms 496 and 497, if not filed electronically in accordance with section 27.2931, shall be filed using personal delivery, facsimile transmission, or guaranteed overnight delivery. For purposes of this subsection, the filing deadline is not extended for weekends or holidays.
(h) It is unlawful to fail to comply with the disclosure requirements of California Government Code sections 81000 et seq., the disclosure requirements of title 2 of the California Code of Regulations, and the additional requirements of this section.
(Amended 9-12-2000 by O-18846 N.S.)
(Repealed and added 9-7-2004 by O-19317 N.S.; effective 1-5-2005.)
(Amended 12-5-2005 by O-19448 N.S; effective 1-11-2006.)
(Amended 11-8-2007 by O-19676 N.S; effective 12-8-2007.)
(Amended 10-27-2008 by O-19795; effective 1-1-2009.)
(Amended 11-27-2012 by O-20227 N.S.; effective 1-1-2013.)
(Amended 10-28-2015 by O-20572 N.S.; effective 11-27-2015.)
(Amended 11-1-2016 by O-20731 N.S.; effective 1-1-2017.)
(Amended 6-27-2023 by O-21667 N.S.; effective 7-27-2023.)
Source: City of San Diego Office of the City Clerk, San Diego Municipal Code and City Charter (docs.sandiego.gov PDFs)URL: https://docs.sandiego.gov/municode/MuniCodeChapter02/Ch02Art07Division29.pdf#page=16Fetched: 10/28/2026