LAGUNA BEACH : Cutoff Date Limits Disclosure of Costs

A series of “message” signs posted along Laguna Canyon Road and a slick, color brochure dropped in the mailboxes of Laguna Beach voters Thursday were among the latest campaign gimmicks employed by supporters of the city’s $20-million bond measure on the Nov. 6 ballot to help save part of the canyon.

But the costs of the costly campaign tools were not disclosed by the Committee to Save the Canyon in the latest campaign finance disclosure statement filed Thursday because the expenses were incurred after the Oct. 20 cutoff date for reporting expenses. State law does not require another report to be filed until January.

According to the statement filed Thursday, the Committee to Save the Canyon has raised $72,852 and spent $22,677 since the start of the campaign earlier this month.

The single largest donor listed in the report is the Irvine Co.--the owner of the land the bond money would help buy--with a total contribution of $15,300.

A two-thirds majority vote by Laguna Beach citizens in favor of Measure H would authorize a $20-million bond issue that would go toward the $78-million purchase price for land scheduled for development by the Irvine Co.

Not included in the report was a major donation by the Hotel Laguna, which sponsored a major fund-raising dinner earlier this month.

The only organized opposition to the bond measure--the Laguna Beach Taxpayer’s Assn.--was unaware until Thursday that it was required to file a report and asked the city clerk for an extension of the deadline.

However, association treasurer Art Casebeer, said he did not think the group had spent more than $1,000 before the reporting period ended.