Pro rent control group hit with campaign disclosure complaint

rent control

BY ALLISON LEVITSKY
Daily Post Staff Writer

The Mountain View Tenants Coalition has been hit with a second complaint filed with the state Fair Political Practices Commission, this one alleging that the coalition hasn’t disclosed how almost $5,500 in campaign funds were spent.

John Schaefer, a Mountain View resident who said he doesn’t own rental property, alleged in the Feb. 7 complaint that the tenants coalition never filed their financial disclosure report, called Form 460, for the period of July 1 to Dec. 31. The form was due by Jan. 31.

The tenants coalition last filed a Form 460 on July 28 for the period from Jan. 1 to June 30.

“I’m a concerned resident who has seen how Measure V is costing the city millions of dollars, has taken rental units off the market and has led to a commission that is totally dysfunctional and unable to come to clear decisions on anything. It has to stop,” Schaefer told the Post in an email.

Daniel DeBolt, the spokesman for the tenants coalition, didn’t return a request for comment yesterday (Feb. 12).

The tenants group campaigned for Measure V, which voters passed on Nov. 8, 2016. It limited yearly rent increases and prohibited evictions without just cause for apartments built before Feb. 1, 1995.

Landlord Jeff Zell also filed a complaint on Aug. 30 alleging the group failed to report in-kind or non-cash contributions from Faith in Action Bay Area and the South Bay Labor Council. It is still being investigated.