Money flows in San Mateo City Council race

Nearly $102,085.78 has been spent or raised to elect Eric Rodriguez, a city planning commissioner and small business owner. That includes Rodriguez’s campaign raising $45,445, about $5,000 of which was a loan, according to forms filed with the city. Contributors to Rodriguez’s campaign fund include $1,000 from San Mateo-based Wall Street Properties; $1,000 from the Bohannon Development Company, which owns Hillsdale Shopping Center; $3,000 from Carstens Realty and its associations, which own apartments as well as the Laurelwood and Bel Mateo shopping centers; and $1,925 through several donations from people affiliated with W.L. Butler Construction.

Separately, the National Association of Realtors spent $34,992 on urging voters to pick Rodriguez, primarily using its resources to buy mailers and online advertising, according to expenditure reports. The California Apartment Association has also thrown its weight behind Rodriguez allocating $20,649.39 on mailers and $1,000 toward his campaign, according to reports. The advertisements emphasize they were not authorized by the candidate.

Incumbent Joe Goethals has the second largest contribution amount with about $51,587.78 total including his own campaign funds and expenditures from outside groups.

That includes the California Apartment Association spending $9,241.65 on mailers supporting Goethals, according to expenditure reports. The CAA sent out a mailer to San Mateo voters, citing this newspaper and urging them to elect Rodriguez and Goethals. In its advertisement, the CAA indicates the two candidates did not authorize the mailer.

Goethals’ campaign has raised $42,347, which includes a $2,000 loan, according to forms filed with the city. Donations include $1,000 from the United Food and Commercial Workers Local; $999 from the San Mateo County Firefighters Association; $1,000 from the Plumbers and Steamfitters Local union; $1,000 from the Building and Construction Trades Council of San Mateo County; $1,000 from the Sheet Metal Workers Local Union; and $1,000 from International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers. Goethals also received $1,000 from the San Mateo-based Wall Street Properties, $1,000 from the San Jose-based company Geer’s Excavating, as well as $1,490 from W.L. Butler Construction and its affiliates. A handful of elected officials holding state, county and city offices also donated various smaller amounts, according to filings.

Incumbent Rick Bonilla is third in the fundraising race having received about $31,437, which includes a $2,500 loan, according to filings. His larger contributions include a collective $6,000 from unions representing plumbers in various California cities; $1,000 from the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local Union; $1,000 from the San Mateo Building Trades Council; $999 from the San Mateo Firefighters Association; $500 from the Sheet Metal Workers’ International Association; and $250 from the San Mateo County Democratic Central Committee. Bonilla has also received $1,000 from the Bohannon Development Company, and smaller amounts from a few state and county officials, according to filings.

Chelsea Bonini, current president of the San Mateo-Foster City Elementary School District Board of Trustees, has raised $18,468 toward her campaign. That includes about $9,993 in loans, according to filings. Her supporters include Joan Rosas, superintendent of the school district who donated $250; Maxine Terner, who helped author San Mateo’s voter-approved height and density restrictions, offered $349; and $100 from Diana Reddy, a member of Faith in Action and the county’s Housing Leadership Council, according to filings.

Charlie Drechsler, one of the last candidates to register for the race, has collected $8,073. That includes about $3,518 in loans; $500 each from Linda and Richard Hedges; and several smaller donations, according to filings.

Candidates Robert Newsom and Mark De Paula filed campaign short forms indicating they do not anticipate receiving or spending more than $2,000, according to filings.

Fundraising and expenditures are expected to continue as the election nears and another round of reporting will be released Oct. 26. Any donations or expenditures of $1,000 or more are also required to be reported within 24 hours.

Visit cityofsanmateo.org for more information about campaign finance for the 2017 City Council election.