Board of Education member Kathy Wisnicki edged out Planning Commissioner John Sibert for the most money raised in the City Council campaign during the first financial period, which concluded on Feb. 23. Wisnicki received $17,689 and Sibert collected $16,920, according to statements turned in Feb. 28.
City Councilmember Pamela Conley Ulich, the lone incumbent in the race, was third on the list with $10,250. She was followed by Jefferson Wagner with $4,450 and Susan Tellem with $4,050.
Sibert had the most money to work with, having also loaned his campaign $2,000. He was also the biggest spender, using $13,834. Among his expenditures listed were just less than $4,000 for mailing material and sign hangers, $2,400 for signs and $2,500 for a secretary.
Wisnicki spent $6,253, of which $3,000 went to public relations firm SJA Strategies and another $3,000 to the printing and graphics company, AMAC. In addition to the money raised, she listed nearly $2,000 worth of “non-monetary contributions,” most of it related to a fundraiser held earlier this year at the home of her campaign treasurer, Colleen Baum.
Conley Ulich loaned her campaign $500. She spent $4,439, including approximately $4,400 for signs and materials for mailers from AMAC.
Wagner loaned his campaign $2,000. He spent $1,730, including $1,110 for the political consultant David L. Gould Co. He also lists that he has incurred nearly $4,700 in expenses for Freeman Public Affairs, but has not yet paid the bills.
Tellem, who also gave a $2,000 loan to her campaign, spent nearly all her money, using approximately $5,900, including $3,700 for Freeman Public Affairs and $1,350 to AMAC for lawn signs.
More than 30 percent of the money raised by Tellem came from local activist Ozzie Silna and his family members. Silna gave $250, the maximum allowed by city law. His wife, Wendy, also gave that amount, as did their son Spencer. Silna’s son and daughter-in-law, New Jersey residents Jeffrey and Christina, donated the maximum each as well. Additionally, $250 came from Spencer Silna’s friend, Illinois resident Aditya Shankar. All these people donated the maximum amount to Wagner’s campaign as well.
Ozzie Silna said this week his family is concerned about Malibu politics just as he is. He said he talks to his son, Jeffrey, at least three times a week, and the discussions often include local politics.
“I told him I don’t think our people are working hard enough to raise enough money, and he asked me how much money he could give,” Silna said. As for why Shankar is interested in Malibu politics, Silna said, “He spent a couple nights in my house, and he listened to me talk about the politics here and the environmental issues I am concerned about.”
Four years ago, Silna spent nearly $28,000 to promote the council campaigns of certain candidates. He is not qualified to do that for any candidates this year because he has already donated to three candidates’ campaigns (he and his wife gave $250 each to Conley Ulich). By city law, only a person who has no connection to the campaign of a candidate has the ability to spend unlimited funds in the form of independent expenditures. Silna said he chose not to go the independent expenditure route this year because it is too difficult.
“The problem is, contrary to what these people allege with their lawsuits (alluding to Wade Major’s failed 2004 suit against Silna), the problem I had is I was cut off from all communication with the people I supported,” Silna said. “And you have no idea how difficult that is when you can’t talk to all the people on your side.”
Some of Sibert’s contributors donating the maximum included City Councilmember Sharon Barovsky (who appointed him to the Planning Commission), City Councilmember Ken Kearsley and his wife Barbara, City Councilmember Andy Stern, Planning Commissioners Les Moss and Carol Randall, and activists Lloyd Ahern, Laura Rosenthal and Marlene Matlow.
Among Wisnicki’s major contributors who donated the maximum were Stern, Matlow, Barovsky, former Planning Commissioner Deirdre Roney and education activists Laureen Sills and Sandy Thacker. Wisnicki also received $125 from fellow school board member Barry Snell and $100 each from school board members Jose Escarce and Ralph Mechur. The Kearsleys also gave to her campaign, but only for a total of $250, while they gave that amount per person to Sibert.
Conley Ulich’s major contributors donating the maximum included Sills, Barovsky, Ken Kearsley, Malibu Township Council President John Mazza and Planning Commissioner Regan Schaar, who is her appointee.
Financial statements covering Feb. 24 through March 24 are due on March 27.