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Elections - Modesto City Council

Friday, Sep. 25, 2009

Campaign war chests are tallied in Modesto races

Olsen leading for funds as election draws nearer

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Kristin Olsen still has the biggest campaign war chest among Modesto City Council candidates this fall, but she hasn't collected much more cash for her re-election bid since early this summer.

Olsen has raised $37,038 this year, all but $825 of which she received before July. She has $23,299 on hand heading into her race's final month.

Joe Cataline, her opponent in a race to represent north-central Modesto in District 5, has raised $3,269 and has $2,764 on hand.

Cataline, owner of a photography and video business, criticized Olsen in a Thursday night debate for taking money from "special interests."

Some of her large donors include Sacramento-based Teichert Construction, Modesto's Chopra Development Enterprises, Dr. Dena Lenser, Centerra Capital representative Paul Draper, Stanislaus Food Products, Stanislaus County Supervisor Jeff Grover's Solecon Industrial Contractors and the Western Manufactured Housing Communities Association.

Those large businesses occasionally carry issues before the City Council. The housing group, for example, opposed a mobile home rent control ordinance the council adopted in 2007. Olsen was the only council member to vote against the measure.

Nonetheless, Olsen's donors represent a wide spectrum of views and businesses. Slow-growth proponent Councilman Garrad Marsh gave her $150. Land-use attorney George Petrulakis, who rarely would see eye-to-eye with Marsh, gave her $1,000.

Cataline's checks came in smaller increments, several of them from friends and family.

Joe Muratore, a real estate consultant, has the most money in the bank among three candidates vying to represent District 4, which covers the La Loma and airport neighborhoods. He has collected $25,879 this year, and has $18,150 on hand. He has received checks in the past three months from Draper, attorney Dave Gianelli, Fat Cat night club general manager Chris Ricci and development consultant Dennis Wilson.

His opponents are Jeff Perine and Robert Stanford. Perine, an educator in a youth correctional facility, has raised $6,904 and has $4,516 in the bank. His supporters include Chopra Enterprises, Supervisor Jim DeMartini and Modesto City Schools Board of Education member Cindy Marks.

Stanford, a community activist, has raised $1,139 and has $906 on hand. He received checks from attorney Troy Spears and the law offices of Aaron Anguiano.

The race to represent south and west Modesto in District 2 has attracted less fund raising. Navy veteran Al Nava loaned himself $600. Dave Geer, a federal security officer at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, loaned himself $5,000 and raised $1,245, $500 of which came from DeMartini.

Modesto Irrigation District

Unusually competitive races for three seats on the Modesto Irrigation District board of directors are drawing plenty of spending.

Incumbent Tom Van Groningen, seeking to hold on to the district's north Modesto-centered Division 3, has raised $8,968 and borrowed $7,500. His supporters from the city's political and business establishment gave him checks in increments of $250 or less. Some of his backers include Boyett Petroleum owner Carl Boyett, DeMartini and Grover's company.

Van Groningen's opponent, Richard Harriman, has raised $992 and borrowed $2,573.

Mike Serpa, the incumbent for MID's central Modesto Division 2, has raised $2,717 and borrowed $10,000. His supporters include school board member Gary Lopez and Bertolotti Disposal owner Bert Bertolotti.

Glen Wild, Serpa's challenger, has raised $4,541 and borrowed $10,000. He received $1,000 from MID department manager Glenn Mount, as well as smaller checks from former Modesto City Councilwoman Kenni Friedman, Grover, Wilson and Central Valley Automotive.

Paul Warda, the incumbent for the MID's Division 4, has borrowed $5,000 to defend his seat against retired MID dispatcher Calvin Donham. Donham has raised $3,131.

Bee assistant city editor Adam Ashton can be reached at aashton@modbee.com or 578-2366.