PURPOSE:

The purpose of this report is to request Council consideration of whether the City will subsidize the cost of candidate statements for the 2007 Municipal Elections.

BACKGROUND:

The City�s Municipal Elections will be held on February 27, 2007 and April 10, 2007.  Pursuant to Section 11-1206 of the Burbank Municipal Code, each candidate for an elective office may prepare a candidate statement and the Council is required to determine, by resolution, whether charges shall be levied against candidates for the cost of sending the candidates' statements to the registered voters.

The cost of the statements may be paid either partially or entirely by the candidates or the City.  For the 2007 Municipal Elections, a preliminary estimate by the election vendor, Martin & Chapman Co., for a half-page candidate statement is $750. The estimated cost is based on the number of registered voters to whom the Voter Information Pamphlet (Sample Ballot) is sent.

ANALYSIS:

In the 1991 and 1993 Municipal Elections, candidates paid for the entire cost of their statements.  Subsequently, the City Council, by Resolution No. 24,350, approved a subsidy of $200 for each candidate statement in the 1995 Elections.  Since 1995, each candidate has paid an estimated pro rata share of the total costs as a condition for having his or her statement included in the Sample Ballot.  Previous Council-approved subsidies for candidate statements are as follows: 1997 - $300; 1999 and 2001 - $380; 2003 - $350; 2005 and 2006 Special Election - $300 (Actual cost was $650 and candidates paid $350).

In the past, the City was required to translate the entire Sample Ballot into Spanish and make it available upon request in the City Clerk's Office. Traditionally, Spanish Sample Ballots were mailed to all Burbank voters who requested translated Sample Ballots in the previous County election.  Translation costs were absorbed by the City, and any candidate who chose to have their statement printed in any another language other than English in the Sample Ballot paid for the entire cost of that statement.  Beginning with the 2006 Special Election, the City is required to print an entirely bilingual Sample Ballot (English/Spanish) pursuant to the Federal Voting Rights Act.  However, any candidate who desires to have their statement in any language other than English or Spanish will have to pay for the entire cost ($750) of that foreign language statement.

RECOMMENDATION:

It is recommended that the Council determine whether or not the City will subsidize the candidates' statements cost for the 2007 Municipal Elections.  In the event the Council approves of subsidizing the statements, the appropriate resolution will be brought back at a future date.

Respectfully submitted,

Margarita Campos, CMC

City Clerk

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