Three San Diego City Council members have proposed limiting the use of free tickets to luxury boxes at Petco Park and Qualcomm Stadium.
The proposal from council members Carl DeMaio, Todd Gloria and Sherri Lightner comes in the wake of a decision from the Fair Political Practices Commission to require officials to treat free tickets as gifts, which are subject to a $420 annual limit, or report them as income.
There are exceptions for tickets that public officials are required to attend as part of their job description or tickets used for a “public purpose,” which has raised concerns that it could prove to be a major loophole.
The three council members’ proposal seeks to define “public purpose” to recognizing community volunteers or providing tickets as raffle items for charities and nonprofit organizations.
The City Attorney’s Office is currently reviewing the proposal, and the trio seeks to have the matter referred to a council committee, according to a memo.