Ventura Incumbent Leads Pack in Fund-Raising

Five-term incumbent Jim Monahan edged out restaurateur Sandy Smith in the latest City Council campaign fund-raising totals.

The latest disclosure statements, which cover Oct. 19-29, had to be postmarked by Friday at midnight. Carroll Dean Williams was the only candidate whose report was not filed by 5 p.m.

With less than a week left until the Nov. 4 election, Monahan, the lone council veteran vying with nine political newcomers for four seats, reported raising $21,187 overall and $8,086 during the most recent period.

Of the candidates who filed statements by 5 p.m. Friday, Monahan and Brian Brennan are the only two who did not put any of their own money into their campaigns.

Smith, the owner and operator of a downtown restaurant, has reported raising $2,935 during this period, and $17,611 overall. Smith spent more on his own campaign during this period than any other candidate--pumping almost $6,000 into brochures, posters and postcards, and paying his campaign manager.

Attorney Donna De Paola, who lost her bid for a council seat by fewer than 500 votes two years ago and has vowed not to lose again, raised the third largest amount of money, reporting $5,473 in this period, and $15,775 overall. De Paola is the only woman in the race.

Business consultant Doug Halter reported raising $14,101 overall, and $1,618 during this period. After filing his papers, he rushed off to a Halloween fund-raiser where he said he intended to masquerade as Monahan--complete with cowboy boots and a mustache.

County planner Carl Morehouse reported raising $12,971 overall, and $939 this period. California Highway Patrol Officer Paul Thompson was right on his heels, reporting $12,450 overall, and $4,375 during this period. That number includes $3,000 out of his own pocket, bringing to $8,000 the cash he has put into his own campaign.

Brennan, a businessman, reported $7,895 overall, and $625 during this period.

Motorcycle magazine editor Mike Osborn reported raising $1,025 this period, and $4,000 overall.

Researcher and homeless candidate Brian Lee Rencher reported raising $230 this period, bringing his total to $1,096.

Only two campaign finance reports during the election season are required by state law. But this third reporting period was added in Ventura beginning this year under the city’s Campaign Finance Contribution Limit Law, passed by 81% of the voters in 1995.

Typically the largest contributions flood in during the final two weeks of a campaign, when they are most desperately needed--and least visible. Under the old law, those donations would not be made public until after the election.

The third reporting period is intended to give as much disclosure to voters as possible before the election, according to the author of the initiative, Steve Bennett.

In addition, the law limits campaign contributions to $125 per donor, unless the candidate agrees to a voluntary spending cap of $21,000. In that case, the candidate must disclose a donor’s name, address, occupation and employer.