Campaign Disclosure Forms and Filings

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Campaign Disclosure Statements
The City of Santa Clara now offers electronic filing as well as viewing of campaign disclosure statements. The City Clerk's Office, in collaboration with Netfile.com, provides online information for both the public and candidates.
If you need assistance, please contact the City Clerk at 408-615-2220 or filerhelp@Netfile.com.

Regulations Regarding Contributions Influencing Santa Clara City Elections
The City of Santa Clara City Council has determined that campaign contributions and expenditures in municipal elections should be fully and truthfully disclosed so that the voters may be fully informed about sources of contributions in support or opposition to city candidates or local ballot measures.

Ordinance No. 1979, adopted May 15, 2018 and effective on June 14, 2018, adds a new Article to Chapter 2.130 (Political Finance Reform Act) of the City Code. This ordinance, also known as the "Dark Money" Ordinance is intended to shine light on the origin of financial support for and against local election candidates and measures.

All contributions of one hundred dollars ($100) or more to any organization, including but not limited to multipurpose organizations, that are intended to influence the outcome of a Santa Clara election for City offices and/or ballot measures, must be reported in the same manner as campaign contributions. Contributions shall include expenditures made and intended for all election related purposes including election communications.

In the event that any multipurpose organization contributes one hundred dollars ($100) or more to an entity that qualifies as a recipient committee under the California Government Code Section 84211, the source(s) of the contributions to the multipurpose organization shall be subjected to the mandatory disclosure requirements of the City of Santa Clara Political Campaign Finance Reform Act.

The campaign disclosure Ordinance is a City law that must be complied with by all contracting parties to contracts of the City, the Santa Clara Stadium Authority, the Santa Clara Housing Authority, and the Sports and Open Space Authority. Each such contracting party must disclose contributions of One Hundred Dollars ($100) or more intended to influence the outcome of a Santa Clara election for City Offices and/or Ballot Measures. This requirement includes contributions of One Hundred Dollars ($100) or more by the contracting party or by an intermediary of the contracting party or by contribution of earmarked funds.

Section 2.130.260 of the Santa Clara Campaign Political Reform Act requires that campaign disclosure statements shall be submitted to the City Clerk, City of Santa Clara, on the filing dates determined by the California Fair Political Practices Commission (FPPC). During an election cycle, two pre-election reports are required to be filed with the respective affected agencies. In addition to the requirements of the State’s Political Reform act, the City requires that, seven calendar days before an election, all candidates shall submit to the City a third pre-election campaign disclosure statement that covers the last date of the second pre-election statement to the date eleven (11) days prior to the election. This requirement also pertains to organizations, contractors and committees.

The Santa Clara Campaign Disclosure Form shall be completed and submitted by organizations/committees and City contractors that have received contributions from donors related to support or opposition to candidates for City office and/or local ballot measures. Santa Clara Campaign Disclosure Form must be completed listing the source(s) of the contribution and filed with the Santa Clara City Clerk within the determined filing dates.

These regulations will be enforced under the existing enforcement provisions of Article VI of Chapter 2.130 of the Santa Clara City Code. The enforcement provisions include prosecution as an infraction or a misdemeanor; civil action for injunctive relief or for damages by any City resident that can include recovery of treble damages; cost of litigation including attorneys’ fees; disqualification of an elected official who benefitted from the contribution from voting on a matter in which the contributor has a financial interest.

In addition, violation of these regulations by any contractor doing business with the City will be considered a material breach of contract and grounds for termination of the contract.

Political Reform Act Campaign Disclosure Requirements and Filings
Since 1974, California has had in place a campaign finance disclosure law requiring candidates and committees to make public their contributions and expenditures. All local elected officeholders, candidates for local elected offices, and committees in support or opposed to local candidates are required to file their campaign disclosure reports with the City Clerk at specified intervals.

These reports disclose who gave money and how much, and who received money and how much. These reports are available online approximately one week after the stated due dates for the various filing periods (see below). Hard copies are available for review in the City Clerk's Office 24-hours after the stated due dates.

In general terms, the Forms you will find include:

Form 470, Officeholder and Candidate Campaign Statement Short Form:
A candidate who does not anticipate raising or spending more than $2,000 may file a 470 "Short" Form to indicate his or her candidacy. If a candidate does not intend to raise or spend more than $2,000, this may be the only campaign finance reporting form they are required to file.

Form 501, Candidate Intention Statement:
The Form 501 indicates a candidate's intent to seek elected office and that he or she intends to raise or spend more than $2,000 in doing so. It must be filed prior to the solicitation or receipt of any contribution, or the expenditure of any personal funds used for an election.

Form 410, Statement of Organization Recipient Committee:
A campaign committee must file a Form 410 within 10 days of raising or spending $2,000. The Form 410 indicates the candidate for which the committee was formed, the name and address of the campaign committee, the treasurer and the location (bank name and address) of the committee's bank account.

Form 460, Recipient Committee Campaign Statement:
At semi-annual intervals during the year and more regularly prior to Election Day, candidates must file a Form 460 outlining the manner in which they raise and spend money in pursuit of elected office. The Form 460 indicates the name, address, occupation and employer of contributors as well as the name, address and purpose for which payments have been made. It also outlines how much was raised and spent during that specific reporting period and in total for the calendar year. Detailed itemization is required for contributions received from a single source totaling $100 or more; expenditures of $100 or more; accrued expenses of $100 or more; and miscellaneous increases to cash of $100 or more. The law does not allow addresses to be posted online, however that information may be available from the City Clerk's Office, 1500 Warburton Avenue, Santa Clara, CA 95050.

Form 700, Statement of Economic Interests
The Political Reform Act requires most state and local government officials and employees to publicly disclose their personal assets and income. They also must disqualify themselves from participating in decisions which may affect their personal economic interests. The Fair Political Practices Commission (FPPC) is the state agency responsible for interpreting the law’s provisions. Copies of the forms for all City filers are available in the City Clerk’s Office, 1500 Warburton Avenue, Santa Clara, CA 95050.

Form 700, Statement of Economic Interests (87200 Filers)
Government Code Section 87200 of the Political Reform Act identifies the Mayor, City Council, Planning Commissioners, City Manager, City Attorney and Director of Finance as statutory filers who are required to file Form 700s. Copies of their Form 700s are available at the City Clerk’s Office, 1500 Warburton Avenue, Santa Clara, CA 95050. They are also available at the FPPC, 428 J Street, Suite 620, Sacramento, CA 95814 and in electronic format on the FPPC’s website. Members of the public are also able to search for filings through our Netfile portal.

Elected officials who currently file Form 700s with the City Clerk are:

Lisa M. Gillmor, Mayor
Kathy Watanabe, Councilmember District 1
Raj Chahal, Councilmember District 2
Karen Hardy, Councilmember District 3
Kevin Park, Councilmember District 4
Suds Jain, Councilmember District 5
Anthony Becker, Councilmember District 6
Hosam Haggag, City Clerk
Pat Nikolai, Chief of Police

If you would like more information, you may call the City Clerk's Office at 408-615-2220.

Gifts to an Agency
Form 801, Gift to Agency Report
The Form 801 is for use by all state and local government agencies to disclose payments made to the agency when the payments provide a personal benefit to an official of the agency.

Gift from Moreland Apartments (PDF)
Gift from Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (PDF)
Gift from City of Yeongcheon, Republic of Korea (PDF)
Gift from City of Icheon, Republic of South Korea (PDF)

Report of Public Official Appointments
Form 806, Agency Report of Public Official Appointments
The Form 806 is used to report additional compensation that officials receive when appointing themselves to positions on committees, boards or commissions of a public agency, special district, or joint powers agency or authority.