Mayor Led All Candidates in Lawndale Election Spending, Fund Raising

Mayor Sarann Kruse collected and spent more money than any of the 12 candidates in Lawndale’s City Council election April 12, according to reports recently made public.

Kruse collected more than twice as much in contributions and spent nearly three times as much as Carol Norman, who ranked second in expenditures and contributions. Norman was elected to the council.

Four of the five City Council seats were up for grabs in the April election. The openings included the two-year mayor’s term, two four-year council seats and a two-year council seat.

Kruse was elected to her fourth term as mayor; former Planning Commissioner Norman and incumbent Harold E. Hofmann were elected for four years, and incumbent Dan McKenzie was elected for two years.

In statements released by City Hall last week, Kruse showed $16,374 in contributions, including $7,865 during the final reporting period from March 28 through June 30. Kruse reported $15,153 in expenses, including $7,401 in the final reporting period. Her final report showed that Casden Co., a Beverly Hills development firm, contributed $2,000; Income Property Political Action Committee of Long Beach gave $1,000; Best Western South Bay Hotel in Lawndale gave $300, and Bon Appetit, a Lawndale restaurant, gave $100.

$5,000 of Own Money

Norman reported $7,652 in contributions, including $5,000 of her own money at the start of the campaign. She said she spent $5,310, including $1,484 in the final reporting period. In the final weeks of the campaign, she reported receiving $1,140, including $1,000 worth of office space from Loegering Property Management Co. in Lawndale.

Councilman Larry Rudolph, who ran for mayor midway through his council term, reported gifts of $3,677, including $1,000 from a local homeowner group called Citizens for Increased Property Values. He reported receiving $299 in the last period. He showed $3,157 in expenses, including $500 in the final period.

Ronald Maxwell, a mayoral candidate, filed a statement on June 2, terminating his campaign committee. He reported cumulative contributions of $4,705 in money and materials, and expenses of $1,258.

Hofmann reported both collecting and spending $2,842, including $1,653 in the last period. He reported spending $2,137 of his own money in his campaign.

McKenzie listed gifts of $2,700, including $1,500 during the final period from Citizens for Increased Property Values ($500 of that in the last period). He reported no expenditures.

Tina Zarro, a candidate for the two-year seat, reported contributions of $3,170, none in the last period, and spending of $4,854, including $10 in the last period.

No Disclosure Required

Four council candidates signed statements that their campaigns would not raise or spend more than $1,000, so they were not required to file disclosure forms. They are Nancy J. Marthens, a candidate for mayor; Virginia Rhodes and Ralph C. Williams, who ran for four-year seats, and Herman Weinstein, who ran for the two-year seat.

Former Councilman Terry W. Birdsall, who failed to win reelection in April, has not filed the required statement, and will be fined $10 a day until he does, according to Marsha Schutte of the Lawndale city clerk’s office. The reports were due in the clerk’s office by July 31, though the fine runs from the date that a candidate receives notification from the clerk that the report is overdue.

A report to the county also is overdue from the Committee for Increased Property Values.

Attorney-developer Jonathan Stein, who is the source of practically all the committee’s funds--about $6,500, said he has been too busy to file and plans do so soon with the county. During the final period, the committee spent $1,000 for a community meeting and $1,690 for mailings, he said.

Fair and Honest Government for Lawndale, a committee made up of Kruse allies, reported $3,981 in gifts and $1,100 in expenses, all in the final reporting period.