Sentinel staff report–
Big money is pouring into the Citrus Heights City Council race this year, with amounts already topping the usual $10-20,000 raised by candidates in order to win local election.
According to the latest campaign finance filings, Porsche Middleton’s campaign has by far out-raised and out-spent all other campaigns, reporting total contributions for the year at $41,139 and expenditures at $39,768. Treston Shull came in second for fundraising with a total of $25,000, followed by appointed incumbent Al Fox, and incumbents Vice Mayor Jeannie Bruins and Mayor Steve Miller. The mayor is the only candidate to report less than $10,000 in donations for the year.
So who’s funding the candidates?
Middleton’s top donor is the State Building and Construction Trades Council of California PAC, which donated $5,000 to her campaign and is known for vocally supporting the recent gas tax increase — something Middleton also said she supports as a way to fund backlogged road repairs. She also reported a non-monetary contribution of $7,000 from The Blocs, which rents out private offices at 2277 Watt Ave., where she held a fundraiser in June.
Her largest expenditure has been a $5,000 payment to the law firm of Bell, McAndrews & Hiltachk, LLP, which represented her in suing the City of Citrus Heights for the right to have her title of Planning Commissioner included on election ballots.
Related: Candidate wins legal fight with City of Citrus Heights over election dispute
Bruins’ top donor is SAFE Credit Union, which donated $2,000 to her campaign this year, followed by three donors who each gave $1,000 to her campaign: King’s Casino, the Citrus Heights Chamber of Commerce PAC and longtime resident and land owner Ted Mitchell. Her total contributions through the latest Sept. 22 reporting period were listed at $11,515, with at least another $1,000 contribution coming in after the filing period from the Sacramento Metro Chamber PAC. (Candidates are required to file a supplemental report within 24 hours of receiving a contribution totaling over $1,000.)
Of the $3,600 she reported spending through the last reporting period, her largest expenditure was around $1,500 spent on campaign signs.
Shull reported receiving $25,000 in total contributions, along with another $2,000 donation by the United Auburn Indian Community of the Auburn Rancheria that came in after the September filing period. Shull, who works as a labor relations manager, reported top donors from six labor political action committees who each gave his campaign $2,500 apiece.
Of the $16,000 his campaign has spent so far, his largest expenditure has been $5,000 in campaign consulting expenses paid to Tab Communications, a Fair Oaks-based consulting firm that has also managed campaigns for Sacramento County Sheriff Scott Jones.
Fox reported receiving about $15,000 in total contributions through Sept. 22, soon followed by another $12,000 in large contributions. Fox’s top donors are three PAC’s who each donated $5,000 apiece: Western Manufactured Housing Communities Association PAC, Associated Builders and Contractors Northern California Chapter PAC, and Western Electrical Contractors Association Good Government PAC. Of the $8,600 his campaign reported spending, Fox’s largest expenditure has been $4,005 for campaign signs.
Related: See where Citrus Heights City Council candidates stand on local issues
Mayor Miller, who is seeking his fourth term on the City Council, showed the least amount of fundraising activity through the Sept. 22 filing period, with just $6,800 in total contributions reported. Since then, he has only reported receiving an additional $3,000 from a trio of thousand-dollar donations, bringing his total campaign contributions for the year to just under $10,000.
Of the $5,800 his campaign spent, his largest expenditure reported was $2,343 to A-Applied Mailing Service, likely for his early campaign mailer that hit mailboxes across Citrus Heights during the first week vote-by-mail ballots were sent out.
Campaign disclosures are required by the California Fair Political Practices Commission (FPPC) for local candidates who raise or spend over $2,000. Two pre-election disclosure filings are required by the commission, with an additional requirement for candidates to file a separate form each time a donation of $1,000 or more is received.
The next FPPC reporting deadline is Oct. 25, 2018. To see all the candidates’ full campaign finance filings, click here.
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