ELECTION NOTEBOOK: Four so far in council race

Five candidates have filed nominating papers with City Clerk Martha Anderson for the three seats on the City Council up for election in November.

Four have turned in the required signatures. The deadline to file is 5 p.m. today.

Incumbent Toni Iseman was the first to file, on Aug. 8. The signatures were verified Monday by the registrar; those submitted by former City Clerk Verna Rollinger, who filed papers Monday, were verified Wednesday.

Incumbent Steven Dicterow filed on Wednesday afternoon, Elizabeth Pearson-Schneider on Thursday morning. Former Councilman Kelly Boyd said on Wednesday that he would definitely file by the 5 p.m. deadline.

Christopher Kling, who had announced his intent to run, has reportedly withdrawn from the race. A minimum of 20 signatures must be verified as valid by the county Registrar of Voters to qualify candidates for the ballot.

BIG BUCKS

The 2006 City Council election is shaping up as costly. Even previous critics of big campaign spending are going after big bucks.

Candidates had collected more than $100,000 in the first six months of the year, according to campaign statements filed in the City Clerk’s office.

Pearson-Schneider leads the pack in donations, in total amount and number of donors. As of June 30, Pearson-Schneider had collected $43,740.99 from 187 contributors to her campaign.

Rollinger’s 2006 campaign statement puts her in second place with contributions totaling $29,064 in 129 donations, with some multiple contributions by donors. However, her committee treasurer Doug Reilly recently issued a press release announcing that Rollinger had netted more than $9,000 at a fundraiser held after the statements were filed, raising her total to more than $40,000 in monetary and in-kind donations.

Individual donations were limited to $310 in the 2004 election, subsequently raised to $330, based on increases in the Consumer Price Index for 2004 and 2005, rounded to the nearest $10.

Reilly, a former president of Village Laguna, which in the past supported limited donations and spending, noted that campaigns have become more expensive over the years.

Councilwoman Iseman reported collecting $1,310 from four donors as of June 30 for this election.

Friends of Steven Dicterow Committee reported contrib- utions of $23,147 as of June 30 from 92 donations. The veteran councilman is running for an unprecedented fourth term.

Candidate Christopher Kling reported collecting zero in the reporting period. However, he had a beginning cash balance of $320, which was included as a previous balance.

The Committee to Elect Kelly Boyd for City Council also reported no donations. Boyd, owner of the Marine Room, previously served on the council from March 14, 1978 to April 20, 1982 (before elections were moved to November.)