Proposal Would Cut Fund-Raising Time

The Los Angeles Ethics Commission agreed Monday to consider cutting the amount of time city candidates can raise campaign funds from 18 to 12 months before an election.

The change is designed to reduce the advantage of incumbents.

To allow its staff to review the idea, the panel put off a final vote on doubling matching funds as another method of leveling the playing field between incumbents and challengers.

The proposal to shorten the fund-raising period to a year was made by Bob Stern of the Center for Governmental Studies. City Councilman Mike Feuer, who has already begun raising money for the 2001 race for city attorney, was intrigued by the idea.

“Frankly, it is absurd that we are out raising money when there are elections for president happening [in 2000] and people are just beginning to get their presidential machinery going and their election is six months before ours is,” Feuer said.

But the councilman said shortening the fund-raising period could benefit wealthy, self-funded candidates unless other measures were adopted, including an increase in matching funds.

Also Monday, Ethics Commission Executive Director Rebecca Avila recommended that any change in the matching funds program not take effect until the 2003 election to avoid potentially affecting candidates who have already begun raising money for 2001.