Council introduces ordinance to raise candidate contribution limits to $1,000; public financing briefing draws mixed direction

San Mateo City Council voted 5-0 to introduce an ordinance to amend Municipal Code Chapter 2.8, aligning candidate campaign contribution limits for individuals and organizations at $1,000 and tying future adjustments to the consumer price index, with an effective date proposed for Jan. 1, 2026.

City Clerk Martin McTaggart summarized the city’s current campaign finance framework and the proposed changes. He said the 2005 code initially set limits at $250 for individuals and $500 for organizations and noted subsequent updates in 2017 and 2024. The draft ordinance before the council would: set both individual and organizational limits at $1,000, add CPI-indexed future adjustments rounded to the nearest $10, and provide an additional 400-word candidate statement on the city website as an incentive for candidates who opt into the voluntary…