To: Members of the Ethics Commission
From: LeeAnn Pelham, Executive Director
Subject: Agenda Item 8 – Executive Director’s Report for September 2020
Summary
This report provides various programmatic and operational highlights since the last Executive Director’s Report.
Action Requested
No action is required by the Commission, as this item is for informational purposes only.
Budget Update
Acting Chief Operating Officer & Director of Technology Steven Massey and I met with the Director of the Mayor’s Budget Office on August 18 to further discuss the Mayor’s proposed FY21 and FY22 budget for the Ethics Commission in light of the Budget and Legislative Analyst Performance Audit Report issued on August 10. The meeting followed a request by Supervisor Ronen at the August 12 Budget and Appropriations Committee for the Mayor’s Budget team to meet with Commission staff regarding the impact of the budget’s proposed attrition savings target on the Commission’s ability to fill a vacant investigator position.
Last week, we learned from the MBO that the Mayor’s proposed budget for the Ethics Commission will be adjusted for FY21 to allow funding sufficient to hire the vacant 1822 Investigator position. The adjustment reduces the required attrition savings rate for FY21 by $75,000 to enable funding to hire the position for the second half of the fiscal year. Additional detail about the anticipated Commission budget for FY21 appears as a separate item on this month’s meeting agenda under Item 5.
Public Financing for the November Election
As of September 4, with just under eight weeks to go before the November 2020 election, 14 of the 22 candidates who agreed to participate in the public financing program and will appear on the ballot in this cycle had qualified to receive public funds. These 14 candidates together have qualified to receive a total of $2,253,555 in public financing as of September 4. To date, no individual expenditure ceilings have required adjustment for any of these candidates.
Revenues Report
The table below shows the revenues received by the Commission during the fiscal year that began on July 1, 2020, as of September 4, 2020.
Summary of FY20-21 Revenues
| Source | FY 20-21 Budgeted Amount | FY 20-21 Receipts as of Sept. 4, 2020 |
|---|---|---|
| Lobbyist Registration Fees | $85,000 | 11,500 |
| Lobbyists Fines | $2,000 | $600 |
| Campaign Consultants Fees | $7,000 | $2,150 |
| Other General Government Charge (e.g., copies made by public) | $2,450 | $0 |
| Statement of Economic Interests Filings-Late Fees | $1,250 | $780 |
| Campaign Consultant Fines | $2,000 | $0 |
| Campaign Finance Fines (includes late fees and forfeitures) | $50,000 | $5,825 |
| Ethics, Other/ Administrative Fines Levied by the Commission | $7,500 | $2,525 |
| Major Developer Fee | $0 | $0 |
| Total | $157,200 | $23,380 |
I look forward to answering any questions or providing further information at the upcoming Commission meeting.