Council sets candidate statement word limit and voluntary campaign spending caps for November election

At the June 9 meeting the San Ramon City Council approved two election‑administration items for the November 2026 municipal election: a 400‑word maximum for voluntary candidate statements and voluntary campaign expenditure limits based on registered‑voter formulas.

City Clerk Joan Snashall explained that Contra Costa County accommodates statements up to 400 words but uses a 250‑word standard for the county fee schedule; statement lengths beyond 250 words incur higher printing costs to candidates. The council voted to authorize statements up to 400 words to give candidates more flexibility; the city will notify the county and reflect the limit in candidate filing materials.

On campaign finance limits, staff recommended modest increases from 2024 levels to reflect higher anticipated campaign costs. Using registered‑voter totals as of April 3, 2026 (52,259 citywide; 14,523 in District 2; 13,380 in District 4), the policy committee recommended $1.75 per registered voter for the mayoral race (approx. $91,453) and $2.75 per registered voter for council races (approx. $39,938 for District 2 and $36,597 for District 4). Council adopted Resolution 2026‑081 by unanimous vote; participation in the limits is voluntary and candidates who accept limits will sign pledge forms posted on the city website.

Both actions were presented as administrative and optional, and staff noted there are no fiscal impacts to the city because candidates pay printing costs and pledge participation is voluntary.