Election finance statements are out; a regular political contributor says he will not be as financially active in this year’s campaign as he has been in the past.
By Jonathan Friedman / Assistant Editor
In a 5-2 decision, the State Supreme Court issued a notice last week that it would not hear a citizens group’s lawsuit against the city challenging Councilmember Sharon Barovsky’s eligibility to run for another term.
“I’m relieved that the court has ruled,” Barovsky said in an interview last week.
The council member said the suit was a politically motivated attempt to bring another candidate, whose name she would not specify, toward an easy victory.
“Now, I hope the campaign can move forward and we can discuss our accomplishments, our goals and our vision for Malibu,” she said.
Former Planning Commissioner Richard Carrigan, who headed the citizens group that filed the suit, said the suit had nothing to do with politics and he still believed he was on the correct side of the argument.
“I believe it more strongly now than when this process started more than a month ago because I’ve had time to study the law and the documents associated with the case, including all the briefs,” Carrigan said. “The system’s not perfect. I respect the court system, but I think they made a mistake here.”
The citizens group filed its suit in January shortly after City Clerk Lisa Pope certified Barovsky as eligible for the 2006 council race. The group said Barovsky could not run for another term because she would be termed-out in April by the city law that limits council members to two terms. Barovsky served a partial term from 2000 to 2002 after the death of her husband, Harry Barovsky, and then was elected to a full term in 2002 that will conclude in April. To support its argument, the group looked to an impartial analysis written by then-City Attorney Richard Terzian that appeared on the ballot in 2000 when voters approved term limits. It stated that a partial term counts as a full term. The actual law does not say anything about partial terms.
Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Dzintra Janavs sided with the citizens group on Feb. 3. But a three-judge panel from the Court of Appeal’s 2nd District overturned her ruling the next week.
Financial statements released
The financial statements for all money raised and spent on the council campaign through Feb. 25 were released this week, and with them comes the news that political activist Ozzie Silna will not be a major financial factor in the campaign. Silna and his family members donated to Ryan Embree’s campaign and have the checks in the mail for John Mazza’s campaign, disqualifying Silna from being allowed to spend unlimited funds on advertising in favor of those candidates.
Silna said in an interview this week that he has no plans for any further financial involvement in the campaign, nor do any of his family members or businesses and nonprofit groups associated with him.
Silna spent several thousand dollars on behalf of Mazza and two other candidates in the 2004 council campaign and was a major contributor to the group that defeated the Malibu Bay Co. Development Agreement in 2003.
Mayor Andy Stern leads the pack in fundraising, garnering $26,165 from more than 130 donors. He spent $2,281, with his money going toward mailing material and a deposit for advertisements with The Malibu Times.
The biggest spender of the campaign is John Mazza who has used $19,502 of his $24,509 war chest for mailing materials, signs, banners and newspaper advertising.
Mazza loaned his campaign $20,329 and raised $4,180 through contributions.
Barovsky raised $20,034, with all her money coming from contributors. She spent $1,724 mostly on mailing materials and a deposit for advertising with The Malibu Times.
Ryan Embree raised $2,050, including $500 from the Silnas and $250 from a business associate of Ozzie Silna’s. He has spent $484 on supplies.
Ed Gillespie raised $500, with the money coming from two Marina del Rey residents. He said in an interview this week that he plans to hold a fundraiser soon and might make a loan to his campaign.
Carrigan loaned $20,000 to a committee he formed to defeat Measure U, the ballot item that would increase the number of terms a person can serve on the City Council from two to three. No other contributions were made to the committee. Carrigan spent $750 to put up a Web site.
The Measure U proponents did not release a financial statement. Councilmember Pamela Conley Ulich, who is heading the pro-U campaign, said she spent money to put up a Web site, but did not know if she needed to report that. The Malibu Times did not speak with her until after City Hall closed on Tuesday, so the city clerk could not be contacted to ask about the matter. The next financial statements are due March 30.
Absentee ballots will be mailed to residents on Monday. Election Day is April 11.