Candidates, PACs report on spending

By LPR Staff
Editor/POST-REGISTER

With fewer than 30 days until Caldwell County”s regular election and the City of Lockhart”s special called election, candidates for office and political action committees have weighed in on their campaign spending and fundraising thus far.
The race for Caldwell County District Attorney has been raising more eyebrows – a

nd campaign funds – than the county and city”s other contested races combined.
Democratic Party hopeful Reagan “Trey” Hicks is leading in both fundraising and campaign expenses. As Oct. 6, Hicks reported raising approximately $11,350 to fund his bid for office. He has spent upwards of $15,600.
The bulk of Hicks” fundraising is a $6,050 contribution from Gonzales attorney Houston Munson, which Hicks reported paid for campaign billboards. Hicks also received campaign contributions of $2,000 and $1,000 respectively from San Antonio professor Alice Laflure and Luling resident Junior Magallanez. He also collected several smaller contributions from other sources.
In the expense column, Hicks reports a total of $15,605.01. His chief expense, $7,610, was paid to Message, Audience and Entertaining in Austin for a campaign mailer. Additionally, the campaign reports spending of $4,099.52 for advertising with local newspapers and $1,851.44 for signs. Hicks spent $739.35 for website development and $700 for billboard vinyl.
In comparison, Hicks” opponent, incumbent F. Chris Schneider, is running his campaign on a smaller budget. Schneider”s spending report, filed Oct. 10, indicated campaign fundraising of $5,524 and itemized expenses of $3,862.23.
Schneider”s largest campaign contribution, $1,000, came from Jack and Edith Schneider of Lockhart. He also collected $500 from the Republican Party of Texas and several, smaller contributions from area residents, including several attorneys.
The lion”s share of Schneider”s spending has been in advertising, including a payment of $1,400 to Time Warner Cable for television advertising. Schneider”s campaign spent $824.45 for signs and has purchased $1,005.15 worth of political advertising from the Lockhart Post-Register and the Luling Newsboy.
In the race for Precinct 2 Commissioner, both Democrat incumbent Charles Bullock and Republican challenger Milton Shaw have been running small campaigns. Neither candidate has reported spending over $2,000, with Bullock claiming $1,923.71 and Shaw claiming $1,108.46. While Bullock stated that he has not collected campaign contributions, Shaw indicated that he has received $1,375, including $500 from the Republican Party of Texas.
The City of Lockhart”s special called election boasts two propositions, the first being the consideration of a recall of Mayor James “Jimmy” Bertram, and the second calling for the city to enact civil service laws for the benefit of police and firefighters.
Three political action committees, the Coalition for Change, Save Our City – Keep Our Mayor, and Citizens for Public Safety Professionals have given public attention to the issues. Only one, however, filed an itemized report on campaign spending this week.
Save Our City – Keep Our Mayor has collected only $50 in campaign contributions, but has received a loan in the amount of $1,873.38 from Bertram himself. The group reports spending of $1,216.88 to Allied Advertising in San Antonio for signs, T-Shirts and stickers. They have also purchased $706.50 in door hangers and local advertising from Garrett Publishing, Inc.
The Coalition for Change, the group supporting the recall, did not file a report prior to the Oct. 10 deadline. Prior reports indicate no spending.
Finally, the Citizens for Public Safety Professionals, a group in support of enacting civil service laws, reports that they intend to neither raise nor spend more than $500 through the course of the campaign.
Final campaign spending reports are required to be filed seven days prior to the election. Watch future issues of your Lockhart Post-Register for details.