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Friday's Internet Edition, September 10, 2010.
PGAF pumps $17,000 into Galt elections
City issues demand to comply with city ordinance or face charges
By Rachael Ackerman
Herald Editor
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Outspending every other committee, Protecting Galt Area’s Future has reported spending nearly $18,000, so far, in the 2008 campaign season – more than three times the amount of any other committee in the race.
The PGAF recall committee, Citizens for Yes on the Recall of Andrew Meredith and Don Haines, comes in second in spending for the first reporting period, reporting spending of more than $5,000 from the time period covering July 1 to Sept. 30, 2008.
But where is all of the money coming from?
Both PGAF, a county general purpose committee, and the recall committee, a subsidiary of PGAF, report receiving nearly all of their funding from the same source, developer AKE Family Limited partnership in Elk Grove, and each other.
According to the filing documents, PGAF has received $16,000 from AKE, while the recall committee has received $5,000 from the same company.
In addition to AKE, the recall committee reports having received $1,000 from PGAF as the total of the $6,000 in contributions they have received to date. PGAF reports having received $2,000 from the recall committee in the same reporting period.
PGAF has reported receiving less than $700 in additional monetary contributions prior to the Oct. 6 filing period deadline.
Expenditures for PGAF total $17, 487, including an $8,000 loan repayment to AKE, a $1,000 loan repayment to the recall committee, nearly $3,000 to The Galt Herald for public education, more than $1,000 to the law firm Bell, McAndrews & Hiltachik, LLP for legal support, $650 to Tony Cohn SEO Services for Web site consulting (with a $250 expenditure for Web set-up and management), more than $3,000 to Express Type and Graphic for educational documents about the Galt area, and $166 in postage.
In addition, PGAF reported making a $250 contribution to the campaign of Michelle Orrock, a candidate for the CSD, and a $99 contribution to the campaign of Galt High School Board candidate Constance Goethel.
The recall committee reports a $1,000 repayment of the AKE loan, nearly $850 to The Galt Herald for publication of notifications and education, a $1,000 loan to PGAF, and $3,000 to Kent Pollock Communications for campaign consulting services.
Neither PGAF nor the recall committee filed reporting documents with the city clerk’s office in Galt, a point of contention that has taken the next step in the process as of this week when City Attorney Steven P. Rudolph issued a letter to PGAF attorney Brian Hildreth and PGAF treasurers David Bramwell and Dick Smith demanding, for a final time, that both committees comply with the city’s campaign finance ordinance.
According to the letter, dated Oct. 13, both committees have been notified numerous times that they are in violation of the city’s campaign finance ordinance, Chapter 2.54 of the Galt Municipal Code, and that the city is making a final effort to seek compliance, immediately, before taking further legal steps against both committees, and their officers.
According to the city, more than 98 percent of PGAF expenditures have related to activity to support or oppose local candidates or ballot measures.
“There is essentially no evidence that the committee is active beyond the boundaries of the city,” said Rudolph. “Unquestionably, the PGAF committee is primarily active within the city and must comply with city campaign filing and contribution limitations.”
With contributions well in excess of the city’s $100 limit per individual, per candidate or issue, PGAF, and the recall committee, which is designated as a primarily formed committee focused exclusively on the recall of two Galt City Council members, have committed numerous violations of the law in Galt, said the city attorney.
“Despite numerous written requests from the city clerk, and the city attorney, both committees, and the officers of those committees, have refused to comply with the city’s campaign ordinance,” reads the letter. “This ordinance contains penalties for the failure to file campaign statements. Additionally, any person who knowingly or willfully violates this ordinance is guilty of a misdemeanor.”
The letter goes on to further state that this is the final time the city will seek voluntary compliance with both committees.
“Especially in these severe economic times, the city prefers to spend public tax dollars on delivering services to the community, as opposed to prosecuting civil or criminal litigation to enforce its laws,” states the letter. “However, when faced with the willful and blatant disregard of city regulations, especially after repeated written requests for compliance, the only remaining recourse is through the courts.”
Bramwell did not respond to phone calls as of the time of press.
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