Although candidates do not have to file official documents announcing their intention to run for City Council until August, some campaigns are already underway in seeking endorsements and contributions for the November 4 election.

In Santa Clara, the start of campaign season is also the start of the award-winning Vote Ethics public awareness program to remind voters – as well as candidates and their supporters – that ethics should be considered at the ballot box.

Vote Ethics is an extension of the City’s comprehensive ethics program and the Code of Ethics & Values adopted in 2000. The community values identified in the Code -- ethical, professional, service-oriented, fiscally responsible, organized, communicative, collaborative, progressive – have been the basis for a series of training workshops for different segments of City government, including elected officials, appointed members of commissions and boards, senior staff, and entire City departments. During three election cycles, the Code has also been the centerpiece of workshops for candidates and their supporters.

In 2004 and 2006, the program expanded to include outreach to voters to educate them about how to evaluate the ethics and values of candidates. A Vote Ethics insert was published in this newspaper (look for a new insert in the September issue), and other communication tools were used to describe campaign financing regulations and disclosure laws.

More information about Vote Ethics can be found on the City’s website at www.santaclaraca.gov.