The financing behind council campaigns

Only one of Yorba Linda’s four sitting City Council members is free from campaign debt, according to documents on file at the City Clerk’s office. The other three report $14,950 worth of loans they’ve made to their own campaign treasuries.

Two council members who left office in December list personal loans totaling $24,200; five other past candidates note outstanding loans totaling $61,045; and three additional former contenders listed $26,031 in personal loans before they closed their accounts.

Rarely, if ever, do council candidates contribute cash to their own election treasuries. Instead, they loan money to their campaign committees, hoping to eventually pay back the loans from donations given by supporters during and after the election season.

However, candidates who aren’t elected or re-elected frequently find themselves in a deep financial hole, with few prospects of paying off their loans from more donations.

Mayor Allen Castellano is the only debt-free council member, and he sports the largest cash campaign account with $5,953. John Anderson whittled his original $9,600 loan to $7,000 by paying himself $2,600 from contributions, leaving him with a $1,133 balance.

Jan Horton’s loan amount is $5,950 and Jim Winder’s $2,000, with Horton’s cash balance standing at $2,355 and Winder’s at $762. With the four incumbents eligible for either one or two more council terms, they could reimburse themselves in future years.

But it will be more difficult for former council members Mike Duvall and Keri Wilson to pay themselves back the money they loaned to their treasuries. Duvall’s debt is $10,000 and a zero cash balance, while Wilson’s loan totals $14,200 with a $3,432 balance.

Ken Ryan left office with no debt and a $4,193 balance. Although Ryan didn’t run again, he donated $1,100 to candidate Doug Dickerson and paid two political consultants, including the well-known Dennis DeSnoo, $3,500 from his campaign fund.

The largest debt is $24,800 listed by Diana Hudson--$16,500 to Ramona resident Paul Taylor, $4,100 to Seal Beach dentist Robert Girardi and $4,200 to herself.

Other still-active loans made by past candidates to their campaigns are John Taylor’s $19,193, Jack Parra’s $7,970, Doug Dickerson’s $7,690 and Robert Potter’s $1,392.

Three other past candidates have closed their campaign accounts and written-off their personal loans, including former Councilman Mark Schwing’s $16,702, former Traffic Commissioner Lee Snyder’s $8,189 and two-time contender Walter Bruckner’s $1,140.

Ever since the early and hard-fought council elections of 1970 and 1972, participants in this city’s political process have needed thick skins. Unfortunately, for the past several election cycles, candidates have needed access to some thick wallets as well.

A FINAL NOTE

Two real estate industry political action committees using the same Los Angeles street address were the largest contributors to Yorba Linda election campaigns in 2006.

The California Association of Realtors Issues Mobilization PAC donated $75,000 of the $174,150 raised by building interests to fight the successful Measure B initiative in June. .

And the California Real Estate PAC paid $12,516 for a campaign mailer for candidate Doug Dickerson and $12,291 for a mailer for former Councilwoman Keri Wilson. The group also gave the unsuccessful candidates $2,500 each in November’s council race.

Two Old Town residents were the largest contributors to the grassroots Yorba Linda Residents for Responsible Redevelopment last year. The PAC raised $33,068 in cash, including $6,500 from Jane Adams and $4,000 from Matt Guptill.

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