Special election won't be so special

Campaign spending should be way below normal for credible candidates seeking the crucial fifth seat on Yorba Linda’s City Council in the upcoming June 5 special election.

The top five contenders in last November’s scramble among 10 candidates for two seats raised $161,372 in cash for the race, took in another $8,112 worth of goods and services and benefited from $24,807 more in political action committee expenditures.

Much less will be raised in this year’s battle for a single seat on the governing body, especially since the term lasts just 18 months before reappearing on the 2008 ballot, and many residents--candidates, contributors and voters--are suffering from election fatigue.

While nobody’s anxious to see another cycle of roadway signs, campaign mailers and automated telephone calls so soon, there’s bound to be less of all three this time around.

And missing from the mix will be paid endorsements on the specious voter guides that take cash from candidates who want to link their names with such important-sounding groups as COPS; Family, Faith and Freedom Association; California Taxpayers Alliance; Coalition for Senior Citizen Security; Team California; and dozens of others.

Interestingly, the third- and fourth-place finishers raised the most cash in the November contest, while the two winners were down in fourth and fifth place in the funding race.

Former Councilwoman Keri Wilson, who placed fourth, raised the most money last year, taking in $49,632. Candidate Doug Dickerson, who placed third, was second in the cash sweepstakes with $38,783.

Also, the California Real Estate political action committee paid $12,291 for a mailer for Wilson and $12,516 for a mailer for Dickerson, according to filings with the City Clerk.

Top vote-getter Jan Horton raised $20,698 in cash and another $5,260 in goods and services, which included half the cost of a mailer financed by the local Yorba Linda Residents for Responsible Redevelopment political action committee.

Second-place finisher John Anderson raised $23,592 in cash and $2,294 more in goods and services, which included his half share of the YLRRR mailer. Diane Hudson, who ran fifth in voting, placed third in the funds raised race with $28,670, mostly loans.

Of course, the financial stakes could be raised in the coming council contest, if builder groups and real estate-related PACs get involved in the campaign, as they did with the citizen-sponsored Right-to-Vote Initiative (Measure B) election last June.

All of the money raised by the unsuccessful No on B forces, a total of $174,150, came from such outside-the-city groups. The No group didn’t list a single donation from an individual or business with a Yorba Linda address on required forms filed with the city.

A FINAL NOTE

Voter participation will be a key factor in the upcoming special election, the first “stand alone” ballot since cityhood passed 1,963 to 638 with a 72 percent turnout Oct. 24, 1967.

The city has had other special elections, but they’ve been combined with regular general or primary elections, which helped boost the percentage of Yorba Lindans casting ballots.

The city has 40,864 registered voters, including 12,445 permanent absentee voters who automatically will be mailed ballots. The remaining 28,419 can ask for absentee ballots by returning cards that will be mailed with sample ballot packets or visit polling places.

Just how many voters will return absentee ballots or make trips to the polls is difficult to predict, except to say that the percentage who do probably won’t match the high number recorded in the city’s first municipal election 40 years ago.