Developers Keep Giving to Anaheim Council : Politics: The five members collect another $8,800 even while considering citywide campaign finance reform for ballot.

Three days after City Council members agreed to support restrictions on contributions to citywide political campaigns, disclosure reports filed this week showed that local businesses and developers continued to be leading givers to council campaigns.

Representatives of the Cypress Canyon residential project planned in the city by Hon Development Co. of Laguna Hills gave a total of $8,800 to the current five council members to lead all contributors in the six-month reporting period that ended Dec. 31. The Walt Disney Co. and Disneyland executives contributed a total of $5,750 during the same period.

In the coming weeks, the council is expected to consider plans for the Cypress Canyon project, which calls for the construction of up to 1,600 homes on more than 1,500 acres south of the Riverside Freeway at Coal Canyon Road.

The city is also deeply involved in negotiations with the Walt Disney Co., which is planning a $3-billion expansion for Anaheim.

Citing the massive amounts of money needed to wage successful political campaigns in the city, council members Tuesday agreed to seek limits on contributions to citywide political campaigns, possibly holding amounts to $1,000 per contributor for each election period. Also part of the city’s proposed election reforms is a plan to limit the number of terms council members may hold office to two four-year terms.

Both issues are expected to be placed before the voters on the November ballot.

Of the five current council members, the disclosure reports showed that Mayor Fred Hunter topped all his colleagues with about $50,000 raised during the reporting period. However, most of that money has already been committed to paying off past campaign debts and expenses, leaving the mayor with less than $20,000 and a reelection bid approaching in November.

Hunter has already announced he will run for a final term as mayor and may not attempt a major fund-raising effort even if challenged this fall.

Councilman Tom Daly, who raised $7,825 during the reporting period, has been mentioned as a possible challenger to the mayor and has amassed a campaign fund that now totals more than $86,000, the largest campaign balance of any of his colleagues.

Daly said Friday that he still has not decided whether to seek the mayor’s seat, run for reelection to the council or make a bid as the Democratic candidate for the 68th Assembly District.

“I’m getting quite a bit of encouragement (to run) for the Assembly and (the) mayor’s position,” Daly said. “I’m discussing the possibilities with my family.”

“The dollars are not a factor for me in running for mayor,” he said. “It’s whether the people of Anaheim want a change of leadership. I think I have enough money to get my message across.”

Although in the middle of his third council term, Councilman Irv Pickler is also considering a third run for mayor. Unsuccessful in two previous attempts, Pickler raised just more than $42,000 and has maintained a balance of about $35,000 in his campaign fund.

“I’m holding my options open,” Pickler said Friday.

Councilman William D. Ehrle, who has announced he will seek reelection to his council seat this fall, reported contributions of $21,850 and a current balance of about $59,000.

Having already announced that he will not seek reelection when his first council term ends in 1994, Councilman Bob D. Simpson reported contributions of $2,650 during the six-month period and holds a balance of just more than $25,000.