Campaign Finance

The City of Menlo Park has adopted local campaign finance regulations, which apply to all candidate committees.

For Campaign Financial Statements scroll down

The following outlines what a candidate needs to know in order to comply with the City’s regulations.  This information is an outline to help candidates gain a general understanding of the provisions.  For full regulations, candidates should refer to Municipal Code Section 2.06. 

What a Candidate Needs to Know

Are there any special instructions related to tracking contributions?
Yes, there are special instructions to be in compliance with City regulations.

In any campaign, an accurate and organized record must be kept of all contributions and expenditures.  All individuals who handle campaign contributions and expenditures must follow the record keeping procedures required by the Political reform Act and the Fair Political Practices Commission (FPPC).

For more information on the record keeping procedures required by the Political Reform Act, refer to FPPC’s publication “Campaign Disclosure Manual 2 – Information for Local Candidates”.

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Are there Contribution Limits in Menlo Park?
No, the City does not limit the amount of contributions a candidate can receive.

Missing Contributor information
The Political Reform Act requires that a contribution of $100 or more be returned within 60 days of receipt if the candidate or committee has not obtained the contributor’s name, and address, and in the case of an individual contribution, his or her occupation and employer.

In addition, to FPPC required information candidates must include the total amount of contributions from persons who have given less than twenty-five dollars ($25.00) and the full name of each person from whom a contribution or contributions totaling between twenty-five dollars ($25.00) and one hundred dollars ($100.00) has been received, together with the contributor’s street address, occupation and the name of the contributor’s employer, if any, or the principal place of business if the contributor is self employed, the amount of the contribution, and the date the contribution was received.

For more information on the record keeping procedures refer to pages 2-11 of the “Campaign Disclosure Manual 2 – Information for Local Candidates” and Municipal Code 2.06.60.

Need Assistance or have questions?

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To view Campaign Finance Reports, justs click on the links below.

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