First reports

This morning the City of Salisbury released 37 pages of candidate financial reports which cover fundraising for the pre-primary period. So who’s winning the fundraising race? Well, in order of finish for the period:

  1. Tim Spies, $2,360 from 45 contributors
  2. Terry Cohen, $2,155 from 49 contributors
  3. Orville Dryden, $2,100 from 9 contributors
  4. Joel Dixon, $1,850 from 9 contributors
  5. Muir Boda, $1,635 from 9 contributors
  6. Bruce Ford, $310 from 2 contributors
  7. Laura Mitchell filed her report stating, “contributions to date are insufficient to require a full report.” However, she did hold a fundraiser in early January so presumably she has raised a little money – just not up to the $600 threshold. (In speaking to Laura after the NAACP forum, she informed me the January event was not used as a fundraiser, so I stand corrected.)
  8. Michael Taylor filed his report with the same message, but listed contributions as zero.

Perhaps my polling isn’t so far off after all based on monetary results – the five who are leading the pack have significantly larger financial resources than the remaining three.

And if you look at the contributor lists, some interesting alliances occur.

Seven of the nine contributors to Orville Dryden maxed out their contributions to him (the city allows only a $250 contribution per candidate.) All nine also gave to more than one candidate:

  • Charlene Lococo of Berlin gave $200 each to Dryden, Muir Boda, and Joel Dixon.
  • Bret Hopkins of Fairfax Station, VA gave $150 each to those three.
  • Bryan Fox of Lexington, SC gave $250 each to Dryden and Dixon.
  • Paul Allen, also of Lexington, SC gave $250 each to Dryden and Dixon.
  • Gabriel Investment Company of Salisbury gave $250 each to Dryden and Boda.
  • Lauren and Keith Fisher, both of Salisbury, gave $250 apiece to Dryden and Boda.
  • Lynne Smith of Salisbury also gave $250 apiece to Dryden and Boda.
  • Susan and Arthur Spengler together gave $250 apiece to Dryden and Boda.

While I don’t know what each of these contributing individuals do for a living, one could construe this as evidence these three are the so-called “SAPOA” candidates. Boda only had two other contributions from individuals and Dixon received much of his other support from his family.

However, it can also be shown that Cohen and Spies are running as a team of sorts, with the most obvious sign being a joint fundraiser. Thirty of their contributors gave to both (mainly as a result of the joint effort) but only one maxed out to both so far: Anita Malik of Salisbury. Other significant contributors to both Cohen and Spies are Mary Gibson of Salisbury ($100 each), Dorothy Truitt of Salisbury (also $100 each), P. James Doyle of Salisbury (also $100 each), David Suiter of Salisbury (also $100 each), Patricia Derrick of Salisbury ($100 to Cohen, $250 to Spies), and Gail Reilly Cross of Salisbury ($100 to each.) Whether that is enough for them to help the candidates or if they are holding money in reserve for the general election that both should easily qualify for is the question, and one which won’t be answered until late next month when general election reports are due.

I should also send kudos to Brenda Colegrove, the Salisbury City Clerk, for making these reports available in a timely manner. It’s nice to get this information before the primary to assist in this important decision.

Author: Michael

It's me from my laptop computer.

17 thoughts on “First reports”

  1. Interesting info, but how is it that Muir Boda can afford radio ads with that kind of financial support? Not saying anything bad is going on, but since Mr. Boda comes here, it would be good to know.

  2. Actually, radio spots really aren’t that expensive depending on where you buy them…as I recall from our (limited) experience with the Central Committee the highest rated stations only charge $15 a spot, and at some of the lesser-known stations you can get them for $8.

    For a limited set of spots you can put together a decent radio campaign for $500 and he raised over $1600.

  3. Thanks for the info, Michael. I’m just a little skeptical about campaign finance reporting, though, based on some of what I have seen in the past (not with his campaign, just others). If $500 went to radio ads (or $100), shouldn’t it show up in the campaign disbursements?

  4. A lot depends on when the expense occurred. If the buy occurred on Tuesday (when the deadline for city election reporting occurred) it would have to be reflected in the next report – obviously there needs to be some lag time for the treasurer to get the information together.

    The spots could be billed by the radio station as well – I would imagine that on something like this where funds are being constantly raised the radio station may bill for the spots after they are aired because they also would have the record of when the spots actually played in case of a pre-emption of some sort.

  5. Santa just wants to put everyone on notice–I am watching the campaigns and watching your financial reports. You don’t want to be on the naughty list! You put up billboards, radio ads, newspaper ads, signs, mailings, etc, etc, etc, you must report it. This goes for all candidates. You even have to report “in kind” gifts, so if the billboard company is charging you nothing for the billboard rental, you must report it. That has not happened in the past. So if Mr. Boda reads this, perhaps he could clear it up?

  6. I wanted to clear up the reporting concern. I served as a treasurer in the last campaign and went by the State’s reporting practices.

    The reports were due 2/22/2011. I included items through 2/15/2011 which is 7 days prior to the reporting deadline. The radio ads were cut on 2/21/2011 on which is the day I paid for them. I also had some donations come in over the weekend prior to filing deadline. My financial report was completed on 2/18/2011.

    What is also on the report is a $500 loan from my wife and $750 of expenditures that have been billed as it is a running tab and will be paid prior to the general election.

  7. No, I think he does need to answer the question if he is going to be an open and honest candidate. Is it a coincidence that the ads were paid for after the deadline but were running before the deadline? Please. I am not that naive. I know he reads this blog, so let’s see if we can turn a new corner in Salisbury politics: would Muir Boda care to disclose how he paid for those radio ads after the filing deadline? According to the accounts, he should have had a zero balance as of the filing date. So who is the new donor group that emerged “after” disclosure was required? I realize he is technically not required to reveal that information, but if he wants to be open, he has the choice to do so. It can be explained now at a low level, or it can be explained later in a public forum where Mr. Boda will not look particularly good trying to explain the coincidental timing. And please understand that I am focusing on this one because it is so obvious–Santa will be directing attention at all of the candidates’ fiscal accoutning. But it is rather glaring when a candidate who is running radio ads does not have that disclosed on a financial form that shows a balance of zero. And then when questioned reports it was paid for later. So clearly some substantial donors came in immediately after the filing deadline. But probably just a coincidence, right?

  8. Michael, I follow your blog from time to time. Generally I like it, although your polls are kind of childish; one person can vote multiple times if one does so on different days or at diffrent time of a day.
    But I really do not understand why do you have to quote after Daily Times, especially if you could verify what they print. There are at least 2 significant mistakes in their contributor’s report. If you want to be taken seriously as a public voice, please be honest and verify whatever you can before spreding Daily Times news. Each mistake brings you closer to them, so read the contributors lists yourself and correct your post please. Thank you.

  9. I think that the readers ought to be aware that Lynn Smith, who is a contributor to Muir Boda and Orville Dryden, is our Council President Louise Smith.
    It has been verified , but you do not have to take my word for it. Check the addresses on the City webpage and on the contributor’s list. Thanks.

  10. No, you are incorrect. While they may be related, the two are not one and the same. The address for Louise Smith is listed on the city website at 229 Canal Park Drive, and her voter registration is at that address (hint: Louise is her middle name.)

    The 217 Cedar address is indeed owned by a Lynne M. Smith, although her voter registration is at another address outside the city (as is Cedar Lane.) Since she and a partner own both, I presume she is a serial landlord.

    While you may be someone who is dead-set against SAPOA influence on City Council, you don’t need to start an unnecessary rumor because I did check both.

  11. I will take these in reverse order.

    Please tell me where I quoted after the Daily Times in this post. All the research was my own, based on information publically available and that I linked to. So I’m not aware of the story you are alluding to – perhaps they did a story on the same subject? It’s not like I don’t see Sarah from the DT at several of these events. Anyway, if there is a correction to be made, it is in the reports themselves because that’s where I gleaned the information from.

    Now, as for my polls. I have set them up to discourage immediate repeat voting, but remember I do run a website with advertisers who would like to see as many people on the site as possible. So, yes, there is an opportunity to vote multiple times but this is also done under the assumption that passionate supporters of particular candidates are spread out among the population in equal proportion to actual support. I found it quite intriguing that the financial reports roughly paralleled my polls insofar as the five that got the most money were the top five in the poll.

    Bett, the whole idea is to convert you from a “time to time” follower to at least a daily one!

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