For Immediate Release: March 1, 2021
Contact: Nancy Jackson (213) 978-1960
The Los Angeles City Ethics Commission today announced the mandatory annual adjustments to limits and thresholds in the City’s campaign finance laws. The new limits apply beginning with any City election for which the fundraising window opens after today. The adjusted limits do not apply to elections for the Los Angeles Unified School District Board of Education.
The adjustments are calculated based on changes in the Consumer Price Index (CPI). City law requires the Ethics Commission to “annually adjust the limitation and disclosure thresholds in City law to reflect any increases or decreases” in CPI. Los Angeles City Charter § 702(h). The Ethics Commission staff is required to publish the adjusted amounts by March 1 of each year. Los Angeles Municipal Code § 49.7.3(B)(1).
The amounts that must be adjusted and the method for making the adjustments are specified by law. Los Angeles Municipal Code § 49.7.3. The adjustments must reflect the annual percent change in CPI for all urban consumers for the region that includes the Los Angeles metropolitan area, as published by the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics.
The adjustments are calculated by multiplying the amounts subject to adjustment by the percent change in CPI from December 2011 to the December of the year prior to the adjustment. Los Angeles Municipal Code §49.7.3(B)(2). The resulting numbers are rounded as required by City law. Los Angeles Municipal Code § 49.7.3(B)(3).
The adjusted and rounded limits in the tables below reflect a CPI growth of roughly 1.5 percent for the Los Angeles region between December 2019 and December 2020.
2021 CPI Adjustments
City Candidates
These amounts apply to City elections in which the fundraising window for the primary election opens after March 1, 2021.
They do not apply to LAUSD elections.
The amounts that apply to the 2022 elections are available here.
| Mayor | City Attorney | City Controller | City Council | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Per Person Limits | ||||
| Contributions | $1,600 | $1,600 | $1,600 | $800 |
| Cash Contributions | $30 | $30 | $30 | $30 |
| Aggregate Limits | ||||
| Anonymous Contributions | $200 | $200 | $200 | $200 |
| Non-individual Contributions | $1,465,400 | $651,200 | $651,200 | $244,200 |
| Matching Funds | ||||
| Maximum Personal Funds | $150,300 | $150,300 | $150,300 | $37,500 |
| Expenditure Ceiling (Primary) | $3,378,000 | $1,520,000 | $1,351,000 | $579,000 |
| Expenditure Ceiling (General) | $2,701,000 | $1,182,000 | $1,014,000 | $483,000 |
| Per-contributor Maximum | $229 | $229 | $229 | $114 |
| Maximum Matching Funds (Primary) | $1,087,000 | $489,000 | $435,000 | $163,000 |
| Maximum Matching Funds (General) | $1,303,000 | $570,000 | $489,000 | $204,000 |
| Independent Spending | ||||
| Threshold That Lifts Expenditure Ceiling | $373,000 | $187,000 | $187,000 | $93,000 |
2021 CPI Adjustments
City Officeholders
These amounts apply as of July 1, 2021, to City officeholder and legal defense committees.
They do not apply to LAUSD officeholders or candidates.
| Officeholder Committees (Citywide) | Officeholder Committees (Council) | Legal Defense Committees | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Per-person Contribution Limit | $1,600 | $800 | $1,600 |
| Cumulative Contribution Limit | $181,000 | $112,000 | None |
| Cumulative Expenditure Limit | $181,000 | $112,000 | None |
| Limit on Transfers from City Campaign Committee | $181,000 | $112,000 | None |
| Maximum Account Balance | $181,000 | $112,000 | None |
| Limit on Expressions of Appreciation or Condolence | $170 | $170 | N/A |
To download PDF, click here.
The Ethics Commission was created by Los Angeles voters in 1990 to impartially administer and enforce the City’s governmental ethics, campaign financing, and lobbying laws.