TITLE
Recommendation to request City Attorney to work with the Office of the City Clerk to amend Long Beach Municipal Code Section 2.02.010 to expand filing requirements to include all campaign committees, within Long Beach’s jurisdiction, to be required to file with the City’s established electronic filing system and accepted as original. (Citywide)
DISCUSSION
The City of Long Beach has prided itself on being at the forefront of innovation by implementing the use of new technologies to improve procedures and streamline access to local government. The Office of the City Clerk strives to be an early adopter of more efficient systems and practices.
In 2010, the Office of the City Clerk implemented the online submission and tracking of Campaign Filings using SouthTech System’s CampaignDocs. CampaignDocs is certified by the California Secretary of State, the Fair Political Practice Commission (FPPC) and utilized by cities like Los Angeles, Riverside and Napa due to its strong security and dependability.
With each election cycle, our office has increased the utilization of technology, such as CampaignDocs, to better manage campaign filings and increase transparency. Requiring full electronic filing is a step towards meeting the goals identified in the Sustainable City Action Plan. Updating the code will allow for faster access to the public and improved uniformity in record keeping. Including all committees in the requirement to file electronically and treat the electronic version as the original, will increase efficiency, and promote overall transparency.
TIMING CONSIDERATIONS
This letter was reviewed by the Deputy of the City Attorney Amy Webber on December 2, 2019 and Budget Analysis Officer Julissa Jose-Murray on December 6, 2019.
FISCAL IMPACT
The software use for the electronic submissions was purchased by the City in 2010. Sufficient appropriation to support the ongoing maintenance is budgeted in the City Clerk Department. No additional costs ar...
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