Candidates report on campaign spending
By LPR Staff
Editor/POST-REGISTER
The candidates running in the upcoming May 7 election filed campaign spending reports last week. The reports, required to be filed by each candidate 30 days prior to the election, spell out the total amount of campaign contributions and expenditures made by each candidate in preparation for election.
The two candidates i
n the Mayor”s race, James Bertram and Tiffany Kowal both filed itemized reports. Bertram, who originally filed a report stating that he had neither collected nor spent over $500, filed a modified report on Monday.
Bertram”s amended report indicated that he has received contributions in the amount of $1,800 in cash, including a $1,500 donation from George Sanchez of Lockhart. Additionally, he has received a $1,356 donation from Terry and Peggy Wright, which was applied toward campaign advertising, and an in-kind contribution from Martin Mojica of OEM support specialists for website development.
Bertram claimed $370 in spending to local vendors for campaign literature, an additional $462 in local advertising and $2,125 to Allied Signs in San Antonio for campaign signs.
Kowal”s report showed much lower expenses and contributions.
She has received a $1,000 in-kind contribution from Michele Schalin for website development. She claimed $107.95 in expenses, $96 for local advertising and $11.95 for web hosting. In her initial report, Kowal did not report any spending on campaign literature or signs.
The candidates in the five Lockhart Independent School District board of trustee races showed significantly less spending or contribution than did the mayoral candidates. In fact, four of the candidates filed “modified” reports, indicating that they had neither collected nor spent more than $500 in their campaigns and that they did not intend to do so. Those four candidates were Kerry Gaddis, Andy Govea, Rosa Hernandez and Clint Mohle. Dawn Hernandez, a last-minute filing for the at-large position, did not file campaign expense reports.
In the At-Large race, two candidates, John Flores and Peter Reinecke filed itemized reports.
Flores did not report any contributions. However, he indicated that he had spent 744.22 with a local vendor for campaign signs, and another $34.53 for stakes.
Reinecke, on the other hand, reported $300 in contributions and reported a total of $1,260.19 in expenses.
The bulk of Reinecke”s spending was with a company called “Gwennie”s,” based out of Mobile, Ala., presumably for campaign signs. He reported another $351 in other expenses, including office supplies, and $86.50 in local advertising.
Raymond Gonzales, Timoteo “Tim” Juarez and John Storbakken, all three District 1 candidates filed itemized reports.
Gonzales claimed one $200 campaign donation from Maya Covarrubias, and $718.62 in expenditures, including $557.49 to Sign Art in San Marcos for signs.
Juarez claimed only $50 in contributions, and $1,170.29 in spending. That total includes $1,076.96 to Sign Art in San Antonio and $93.32 for other expenses.
Storbakken did not report campaign contributions, but reported $216 in expenses to Dirt Cheap Signs in Round Rock and $28.44 in other expenses.
Gary Allen was the only District 2 candidate to file an itemized report. Allen”s report contained an affidavit, citing a family emergency as a reason for having filed his report one day late. Allen claimed one campaign contribution of $100. He spent a total of $696.73 with local vendors, $678.73 for printing and supplies, and $18 for a voter registration list.
District 3 candidates Paul Hardwick and Jerry Hinkle filed itemized reports.
Hardwick claimed a total of $85 in campaign contributions, and $378.88 in payment to a local vendor for campaign signs.
Hinkle claimed $50 in contributions and $128 in expenses. He did not offer specifics as to his spending.
Both District 4 candidates, Carl Ohlendorf and John Manning, filed itemized reports.
Ohlendorf claimed $1,150 in contributions, including a $500 donation from Jim and Amelia Smith. He cited $1,120.73 in spending to local vendors for campaign signs and advertising.
Manning has received $367 in contributions and spent a total of $918.50 in campaign funds, along with an additional $309.15 in out-of-pocket spending.
The bulk of Manning”s spending was for campaign signs, for which he spent around $480 with two out-of-state vendors, Southern Nameplate in Alabama and GraphicsLand in Illinois. The remainder of his expenses, including a sum of $70.55 for printing, were accrued in Lockhart.
The candidates will be required to file final reports seven days prior to the election.
Kathibliss@post-register.com
