Candidate Gives Donation Back to Developer : Simi Valley: Barbara Williamson, who just won a City Council seat, fears the contribution violates state law.

Barbara Williamson, who won a seat on the Simi Valley City Council this month, said Friday that she is returning a $500 campaign contribution from a developer because she fears she violated a state law by accepting it.

In August, Williamson, a city planning commissioner, voted for a proposed Shell gas station and car wash at Yosemite Avenue and the Simi Valley Freeway. She says that when she voted on the project in August, she believed the developer, Casden Co. of Beverly Hills, already had sold the site to Shell.

“I was just politically naive,” she said.

Casden made the donation in September. Under state law, an appointed planning commissioner must wait three months before accepting campaign donations of more than $250 from someone whose project has come before the panel.

According to her last campaign finance statement, Williamson received a total of $20,896 in contributions and loans.

Williamson said that Simi Valley city staff members contacted her about the Casden contribution early this month. Shortly afterward, Williamson said, she called the state’s Fair Political Practices Commission.

“I told them I thought I was in violation,” Williamson said. “They said they had not had any complaints (about the gift). They asked me if I was turning myself in. I said, ‘Yes.’ ”

Carol Thorp, a spokeswoman for the commission, said she could not comment on whether Williamson was under investigation.

But she said candidates who violate the Political Reform Act of 1974 could receive a warning or be fined up to $2,000 per violation.

Williamson’s installation on the council Nov. 24 is not in jeopardy, city officials said.

Williamson, 47, a vice president at Simi Valley Bank, was among 13 candidates running for two seats on the City Council. Incumbent Bill Davis was the top vote-getter Nov. 3, followed by Williamson.

She had been criticized by some northeast Simi Valley residents for her Planning Commission votes in favor of the Shell station and an adjacent McDonald’s restaurant. The McDonald’s project was approved, but the Shell plan was voted down by the commission and the City Council.

Williamson accepted campaign contributions from the operators of two local McDonald’s restaurants, but the money was given more than three months after her votes, her campaign finance statements showed.

She said she turned down a more recent offer of funds from Shell because of the state law.

“If I had known there would have been a conflict with Casden, I wouldn’t have taken that either,” Williamson said. “If I was trying to hide anything, I wouldn’t have had the contribution from Casden showing on my campaign statement.”

Casden officials could not be reached for comment Friday.

Tim Hodge, a candidate who had criticized Williamson’s many donations from developers, said Friday that he was glad she was giving back the Casden gift.

“I think it’s appropriate that she return it,” said Hodge, an attorney and civic activist. “My big concern is that it taints the entire electoral process. The voters are already suspicious of politicians, and it’s unfortunate that this happened because it does reflect badly on the entire electoral process.”