IRVINE : Candidate Mears Is Top Fund-Raiser

Mayoral candidate Helen Cameron has raised nearly as much money for the Nov. 3 election as her two top competitors combined, according to campaign financial reports filed this week.

As of Sept. 30, Cameron has raised $13,218 compared to her opponents, Marc Goldstone, who raised $7,876, and Michael Ward, who raised $5,705.

But City Council candidate Christopher B. Mears tops all city candidates so far, raising $25,677 for his campaign. Incumbent Paula Werner was No. 2, raising $18,823.

Candidate Christina Shea reported raising $10,405; candidate Kenneth Bruner reported raising $7,305.

State campaign law requires candidates to file periodic statements of how much money they have raised and spent during the campaign. Anyone giving $100 or more to a candidate must be listed by name on the candidate’s statement. A city law limits what a candidate may receive from each individual to $180.

Of the three other candidates running for mayor and the four running for council, all but two filed statements saying they planned to raise less than $1,000 during the campaign. Candidates raising less than $1,000 are exempt from filing detailed accounting reports.

The two other candidates, mayoral candidate David Fondots and council candidate Philip Bui, did not file any report. Bui sent a letter to the city clerk instead, stating that he was withdrawing from the race. Fondots sent a letter saying he planned to withdraw.

Several candidates filing the contribution and spending reports made errors, as is usual for the first campaign statement, City Clerk Nancy C. Lacey said Thursday. Three candidates made errors that will require them to return $180 contributions from Mayor Sally Anne Sheridan’s 1990 mayoral campaign fund. Accepting money from a campaign committee violates state law, Lacey said.

Bruner, an aide to Orange County Supervisor Thomas F. Riley, also received a $100 donation from Riley’s reelection committee, a violation.

Some candidates also wrote checks to fellow candidates but forgot to record the gifts on their own spending reports, a minor violation.

After finding the errors in the reports, Lacey said, she wrote letters to all of the candidates notifying them of the proper rules. Mike Ward, a candidate for mayor, and council candidates Bruner and Shea should return the $180 contributions to Sheridan’s campaign treasurer, she said.

Bruner, Shea and Ward said this week they were unaware that receiving money from another candidate’s committee was illegal. They planned to return the $180 to Sheridan’s campaign and Bruner said he would return the $100 to Riley’s campaign treasurer.