Yes nearly triples up No in Measure I campaign funding with union boost

The Yes on Measure I committee has raked in about $35,000 more than its No on Measure I counterpart as of Thursday — the latest campaign statement filing period deadline for Measure I — building up a $55,187 campaign war chest compared to $19,900 for the project’s opponents.

Four building and trade unions are listed on the most recent Yes on Measure I “contributions received” log, with cash gifts totaling $10,000 combined from the labor groups during the course of the campaign.

IBEW Local 340 and Plumbers and Pipefitters Local 447, two of the three Sacramento-based unions that funded a mailer during last years’ Davis City Council election attacking former Council member Sue Greenwald, were among those to financially back the Yes on Measure I cause.

Laborers Local 185, a general labor and construction union and Northern California Carpenters also both contributed.

According to Woodland-Davis Clean Water Agency officials, 75 percent of the construction work will be performed by contractors in the area.

Among other expenditures — they’ve spent about $50,260 so far — Yes on Measure I has spent its money on two separate polls to gauge the local race for and against the water project.

In early February, the committee released selected results from the first poll that pointed to 63 percent of the voting public being in favor of “the city’s water plan,” while 11 percent opposed it.

Yes on Measure I also conducted an automated telephone poll earlier this week, but Will Arnold, campaign manager for Yes on Measure I, would not divulge the results.

The “Yes” campaign also received a second $10,000 loan from its committee chair, Alan Pryor, a member of the Natural Resources Commission and owner of an ozone consulting company called Ozone Process Consultants, Inc.

The report also says that $3,950 was paid to The Centaur Group, a Davis-based public and government relations company co-owned by Kari Fry and Kemble Pope.

Also to contribute to “Yes on Measure I” this period: Council member Rochelle Swanson, $100; Cunningham Engineering, $250; Charles Cunningham, $150; Susie Boyd, $100; Mary Barnette, $100; Jon and Peggy Watterson, $100; Teresa Kaneko, $100; Tim Yeung, $100; John Mayer, $100 and John Lofland, $100.

Meanwhile, of the $19,900 the No on Measure I group has amassed  since their campaign began in January, including $3,569 in loans, they already have spent $13,369, leaving a cash in hand balance of $6,228.

The majority of its expenditures have gone to the post office and printing companies, likely for a citywide mailer that was sent out earlier this month.

Among those who have contributed to the “No” campaign was “The Committee to Confirm Davis Voters’ Rights,” giving $3,000.

That group, headed by Davis resident Michael Harrington, was responsible for circulating the referendum petition that stayed the water rate increases the City Council adopted in late 2011 to pay for the project.

Also to contribute to “No on Measure I”: Jim Leonard, $2,500; Jim Stevens, $1,000; John Munn, $1,000; John Smith Trust, $852; Barbara King, $250; Walt Sadler, $200; John Donaldson, $200; Katy Flaherty, $100; Noreen Mazelis, $100; Sandy Beck, $100; Reuben Schilling, $100; James Baughn, $100; John and Patricia Goss, $100; Stanley Forbes, $100; Marion Warner, $100; Mike Hughes, $100; Eugene Borack, $75; Stefano Varese and Linda Ayre, $50; Samantha McCarthy, $50; Shneor Sherman, $50; Ed and Bertha Schmit, $50; William Vance, $50; Delee Beavers, $50; Kenneth and Grace Salvagno, $50; David McGlocklin, $50; John Chendo, $35 and Mariette Bernoco, $25.

The Measure I all-mail election scheduled for March 5 asks voters whether they approve of the Davis City Council moving forward with the Woodland-Davis Clean Water Agency surface water project.

The $113 million project will pump water from the Sacramento River, treat it and pipe it to Davis and Woodland to replace their ground well water systems.

The Yolo County Elections Office began processing the ballots they have received Friday, but won’t actually begin counting them until election day on March 5.

As of noon Friday, the office had received 7,846 ballots.

For more information on Yes on Measure I, visit www.daviswater.org. For more information on No on Measure I, visit www.noonmeasurei.net.

— Reach Tom Sakash at tsakash@davisenterprise.net or 530-747-8057. Follow him on Twitter at @TomSakash

Tom Sakash

Tom Sakash covers the city beat for The Davis Enterprise. Reach him at tsakash@davisenterprise.net, (530) 747-8057 or @TomSakash.

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