Measure W: Charter Amendment Measure

Measure W — Election & Administrative Charter Amendments: SUPPORT

Makes multiple updates to Berkeley’s charter covering candidate filing fees, the Fair Elections public financing program, recall and referendum procedures, and redistricting rules. Measure W makes 11  changes to the City Charter, with three carrying substantive weight and eight aligning existing city language with state law.

Policy positions applied: Campaign Finance and DEI.

• Filing fee drops from $150 to the state code amount, currently $25. Direct barrier removal at the exact margin where first-time candidates without institutional backing decide whether to run.
• Candidate statements no longer require place of birth, place of residence, or taxpayer status. Birthplace disclosure invites nativist filtering, taxpayer status functions as a wealth screen, and home address disclosure is a safety exposure that falls hardest on candidates who already receive harassment.
• Public financing administrative cap rises from $250K to $400K. Increasing funding to keep up with rising costs is what keeps a public financing program relevant, helpful, and true to its democratic mission.

The measure is aligned with the League’s long commitment to expanding opportunities for citizens to run for public office, without the lack of personal wealth standing in the way as a prohibitive barrier. Investing in Berkeley’s public financing of campaign system expands opportunities and helps to reduce the outsized influence Big Money has in our political system. Vote Yes on W!

Source (https://www.lwvbae.org/league-news/vote-with-the-league-nov-2024-2)