Conflict lacking in early talks on campaign rules

June Casagrande

What started as a divisive issue could turn out to be a peaceful

and cooperative effort as City Council members seek to hammer out a

useful conflict-of-interest ordinance governing local campaigns.

City staff are assembling a study session item on creating the

ordinance to ensure fair play in local politics and broadening the

scope of current conflict rules that govern city contracts. The

matter should come before council members at their Jan. 28 study

session.Greenlight Councilman John Heffernan last year proposed that

the city consider a conflict-of-interest ordinance in response to

what he considered a too-cozy relationship between the council and

Dave Ellis, a campaign consultant whose consulting services were also

contracted by the Airport Working Group. Ellis, who has worked on the

campaigns of some current and former council members including Gary

Adams, Steve Bromberg and Don Webb, was paid about $458,000 out of a

city grant to help educate the public on the El Toro airport option.

Current conflict rules forbid council members from voting on

matters in which they have a personal financial stake. However, rules

permit situations such as the grant work that benefited Ellis, and

also benefited working group President Barbara Lichman and Citizens

for Jobs and the Economy leader Bruce Nestande.

“I’m very supportive of John’s idea and I think this can be very

positive and constructive for the city,” Bromberg said.

At the conclusion of the Jan. 28 study session, council members

may opt to put onto a council agenda the question of whether to

create an ordinance to govern municipal elections and potential

conflicts of interest.

Adams, too, has shown support for the concept of shored up

campaign rules. After being accused of knowing that Ellis created a

phony phone message on his behalf -- an accusation Adams denies --

the councilman has suggested tightening rules on recorded campaign

telephone messages. Their scripts, Adams said, should be on file in

the city clerk’s office before the messages can be broadcast to

voters.

Greenlight leaders are enthusiastic about the possibility of

creating meaningful campaign rules. Greenlight spokesman Phil Arst

has issued a statement laying out items the group believes should be

part of a city ordinance. These points include requiring candidates

to post campaign finance statements on the city’s Web site, to

publicly file the text of all campaign communications, and to

expeditiously report all last-minute expenditures more than $500. The

Greenlight committee has also called for regulating the campaign

activities of anyone who has benefited from city grants, a move that

would make illegal relationships such as the one between Dave Ellis

and the city.

“We believe that these recommendations, and others to be developed

during public hearings, when adopted, will help ensure that future

Newport Beach City Council or Initiative elections are more honestly

conducted and reflect the free will of the electorate,” Arst said.