BILL ANALYSIS
AB 715
Page 1
ASSEMBLY THIRD READING
AB 715 (Caballero)
As Amended April 30, 2009
Majority vote
LOCAL GOVERNMENT 7-0
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|Ayes:|Caballero, Knight, | | |
| |Arambula, Davis, Duvall, | | |
| |Krekorian, Skinner | | |
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SUMMARY : Authorizes the city clerk to publish and post the full
text of the ordinance on the city's Internet Web site instead of a
newspaper of general circulation, as specified. Specifically, this
bill requires the city clerk:
1)Either to publish the full text of the ordinance, with the names
of those city council members voting for and against the
ordinance, in a newspaper of general circulation; or, if there is
none, posted in at least three public places in the city or
published in a newspaper of general circulation printed and
published in the county and circulated in the city; or, to post
the ordinance on the city's Internet Web site.
2)If he or she posts the ordinance on the city's Internet Web site,
to mail notice of passage of the ordinance to those who have filed
a written request for those mailed notices.
EXISTING LAW requires the city clerk, within 15 days after the
passage of an ordinance by the city council, to cause the ordinance
to be published, with the names of those city council members voting
for and against the ordinance, in a newspaper of general circulation
or if there is none, posted in at least three public places in the
city or published in a newspaper of general circulation printed and
published in the county and circulated in the city.
FISCAL EFFECT : None
COMMENTS : The sponsor, City Clerks Association, says the average
cost to publish ordinances is $5,736 a year. The average cost per
column inch to publish in a newspaper of general circulation is
$7.28. These costs are especially apparent if an ordinance is of
AB 715
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any great length. When a city posts the ordinance in a newspaper of
general circulation, the city does not always use the most widely
read newspaper of a community because of the extra expense with
posting in that publication, thus making it difficult for city
residents to access this information. Add to that the fact that the
average newspaper subscription ranges from $55 to $200 a year, and
it is questionable how many city residents the published ordinance
is reaching.
The sponsor says allowing a city to post an ordinance on its
Internet Web site and mail notice of passage of the ordinance to
those who have requested mailed notices relieves a financial burden
on cities and residents and increases civic participation for those
who cannot afford paid newspaper subscriptions and for those who use
the Internet. The proposed changes in this bill would also mean
city residents would no longer be forced to sort through multiple
newspaper pages of paid legal advertising.
Analysis Prepared by : Jennifer R. Klein / L. GOV. / (916)
319-3958 FN:
0000606