A political action committee that’s supporting incumbent Encinitas Mayor Tony Kranz and one backing a city-sponsored sales tax ballot measure each received more than $10,000 in funding in the final month before the Nov. 5 election.
That’s far more than what was raised by the only PAC that’s both opposing the ballot measure and backing a group of Encinitas candidates, including the mayor’s opponent, Councilmember Bruce Ehlers.
That group — the Encinitas Citizens Review Panel — collected $13,150 for the entire year, with $150 coming in between Sept. 19 and Oct. 22, which is the latest period covered by the new financial forms.
For comparison, Protect Our Legacy Encinitas — the organization that’s supporting the proposed 1-percent, city sales tax increase known as ballot Measure K — reported collecting $11,575 between Sept. 22 and Oct. 19, and raised a total of $14,025 for the year.
And Encinitas United in Support of Tony Kranz — the political action group backing the incumbent mayor — raised a $26,000 between Sept. 22 and Oct. 19. Its year-to-date fundraising total was $27,750, its forms show.
The biggest donor to both those groups was the city firefighters’ political organization. It gave $10,000 to Encinitas United and $5,000 to Protect Our Legacy.
Other Encinitas United donors included Building a Stronger California, which gave $5,000; Encinitas Beach Land Ventures and Baldwin & Sons, which each gave $3,000; and Brad Termini, CEO of Zephyr, who gave $1,000.
Another person, Paul Ecke of Caritas Co., gave the group $1,000 just after the latest filing period closed, new paperwork indicates.
The pro-Measure K group, Protect Our Legacy, reported receiving $1,000 each from Laz Parking owner Michael Harth and Kitchell Development vice president Donald Glatthorn; $750 from Encinitas Beach Land Venture LLC; and $500 each from The Bier Garden restaurant, retired Leucadia resident Rob Blackwell, state Sen. Catherine Blakespear, and retired Encinitas residents Ross Ritter and John Spencer.
Political action groups are independent from a candidate’s own campaign organizations, and aren’t subject to the city’s $250 limit on individual donations to a candidate or a candidate-controlled committee.
During the latest period covered by the new financial forms, the election committee run by the Kranz campaign reported raising $7,899. Its year-to-date fundraising total was $33,025.
The Ehlers campaign’s form covering the most recent filing period had not posted on the city’s elections page web site by Tuesday afternoon. In its form for the prior period, which ended Sept. 21, the Ehlers campaign reported raising total of $44,384 this year.
This is the last reporting period before the Nov. 5 election. After the election, PACs and candidates’ campaign committee will do a wrap-up of their final contributions and expenditures on a new set of forms.