Slow start to campaign fundraising

Published 9:46 pm Monday, July 23, 2012

The candidates standing for election to local seats this fall are off to a sleepy start in fundraising and spending so far, but their campaigns are sure to get more exciting as Nov. 6 approaches.

In their first campaign finance disclosure filing since being certified to run last month, the 13 candidates for mayor, City Council and School Board made public the names of those they’ve accepted cash and in-kind contributions from and where they’ve spent the money.

The report, which was due last week, covered the period of June 2-30. Unsurprisingly, candidates for mayor have been some of the busiest.

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Challenger Leroy Bennett appears to be one of the biggest fundraisers this period, but in reality he received only two contributions for more than $100. One of them, for more than $10,300, was a transfer of money left in his old campaign account from City Council elections.

Another challenger, Art Bredemeyer, got his biggest contributions from Dorothy Bland Gamble, who made an unsuccessful bid for School Board in 2010. She closed out her campaign account by donating the leftovers — nearly $500 — to Bredemeyer.

Incumbent Linda T. Johnson received only one itemized contribution this period, from a fellow member of City Council. Charles Parr donated $500 and also provided food and drinks as an in-kind donation.

The most active City Council race is in the Sleepy Hole borough, where three candidates are running.

Raymond Batton has paid $4,000 for consulting services, and also spent more money on sponsoring a golf tournament and buying business cards. Roger Fawcett also has spent money on marketing, paying $325 to have brochures printed. Kevin Alston, who also is running in that race, had not filed a report as of Monday afternoon, voter registrar Susan Saunders said.

The only contested race for School Board, in the Whaleyville borough, is generating some expenditures. Incumbent Phyllis Byrum paid the State Board of Elections $161 for information on registered voters in the area. Challenger Marion Flood spent about $147 on campaign materials and advertising in an alumni association booklet.

See the information for all candidates below.

Mayoral candidates

Leroy Bennett

Itemized contributions

Transfer from former campaign account, $10,317.82

Public collection in Hilton meeting room, $143

Unitemized contributions, one for $90

Expenditures

$666.38 paid to S. Bennett for business cards, buttons and door hangers

$430 paid to Richard Cobb for brochures

$1,000 paid to William Freeman of ProLookMedia for “media”

Art Bredemeyer

Itemized contributions

John D. Eure (partner at Eure and Bredemeyer), $250

Dorothy Gamble for School Board, $496.41

In-kind contributions

From self: $374.98 for canvassing expense, website expense

Unitemized contributions, four for $275

Linda Johnson

Itemized contributions

Charles D. Parr (funeral home owner), $500

In-kind contributions

From Charles D. Parr, $121.80 for food and beverages

Unitemized contributions, three for $300

City Council candidates

Nansemond

Robert Barclay

Itemized contributions

Albert J. Taylor (attorney at Williams Mullen of Norfolk), $200

J. Leslie Hall (president of ALL FIRST LLC of Suffolk), $250

Steven Boyette; retired, $250

Unitemized contributions, seven for $650

Expenditures

$45 paid to Post Office for stamps

$191 paid to Economy Printing for stationery

$10.55 paid to Andrew M. King for reimbursement for sales tax on stationery

Lue Ward

No activity this period

Sleepy Hole

Kevin Alston

Has not filed

Raymond Batton

Itemized contributions

Raymond Dewey Batton III (C&C Franchising Inc.) $95

In-kind contributions

From self: $172.20 for magnetic signs

From self: $49 for website hosting

Expenditures

55 cents paid to Source Cyber for bank charges

$139.49 paid to Inc. Zazzle for business cards

$640 paid to Suffolk Police Officers Association for Officer Winslow golf benefit

$94.70 paid to Golf Inc. Name It for golf tee and signage

$2,000 paid to Public Affairs Jim Ross for consulting

$2,000 paid to Company Public Affairs for “Drew Lankford consultant”

Roger Fawcett

Itemized contributions

Rhonda M. Holland (owner of Holland Enterprises) $1,000

Unitemized contributions, one for $100

In-kind contributions

From Candy Fawcett: $3,000 for “newspaper article”

From Candy Fawcett: $325 for graphic design and 3,000 brochures

Whaleyville

Curtis Milteer

No activity this period

School Board candidates

Nansemond

Judith Brooks-Buck

Unitemized contributions, one for $100

No expenditures

Sleepy Hole

Diane Foster

Filed a notice to be exempted from campaign finance reporting requirements because she does not plan to accept contributions from others, contribute more than $1,000 of her own money or spend more than $1,000.

Whaleyville

Phyllis Byrum

Expenditures

$64 paid to State Board of Elections for registered voter printout

$97 paid to State Board of Elections for CD and labels

Marion Flood

Expenditures

$121.99 paid to Oriental Trading Company for campaign materials

$25 paid to Nansemond County Training/Southwestern Alumni Association for ad in souvenir journal