Incumbent Leads Fund-Raising Race

Incumbent Lesley Devine, a two-term city councilwoman, emerged last week as the candidate with the largest treasury in the campaign for three seats on the Calabasas council to be filled in Tuesday’s election.

According to campaign spending reports ending Feb. 15, the seven candidates have run relatively conservative campaigns.

Devine, an environmental consultant, raised the most money, $30,419, but had expenditures of only $4,269. Robert Sibilia raised the least, $1,346, and spent $2,162.

Incumbent and real estate appraiser Marvin Lopata reported a treasury of $4,607, and expenditures of $2,088, while Planning Commissioner Michael Tingus raised $9,783, with spending totaling $5,344.

Los Angeles Deputy Dist. Atty. James Bozajian reportedly raised $10,210, with expenditures of $7,953, and media consultant Toby Keeler raised $1,520, with expenditures totaling $350.

Businessman Craig Cignarelli, a first-time candidate who has run a low-key campaign, did not file a spending report by the deadline.

Many of the candidates with the larger campaign accounts reached the higher levels through loans made to themselves or from others, including an $8,300 loan for Bozajian and $2,600 for Tingus, an industrial real estate agent.

Emma G. Wilby, Devine’s campaign treasurer, said the candidate chose to add a $26,000 loan from friend Michael Brockman to her account after noting the much larger sums being spent by her opponents in two previous campaigns for office.

The loan was arranged in case she faced the same monetary competition, but “she will not be spending it all by any means,” Wilby said.