Builders donate big to college's bond campaign

Campaign contribution filings due Thursday showed more than $250,000 was donated to the effort to pass a $564 million community college bond measure — mostly from those in the building industry — but so far the campaign has spent practically nothing.

Other school measures also showed financial support. Donations from groups supporting three local school measures — the San Mateo County Community College District bond measure, a $30 million bond measure for the Millbrae Elementary School District and a $76 annual parcel tax benefiting Burlingame schools — showed lots of financial support. Bond measures could mean new and updated facilities while a parcel tax would raise funds for programs.

Supporters of the community college district bond, Measure H, raised $251,641 thus far this year, $117,500 of which was collected since July 1. Among the donations are: $1,000 from Flad and Associates, Inc. from Madison, Wis.; $2,500 from Q Builders, Inc. in Palo Alto; $25,000 from Hansel Phelps in San Jose; $5,000 from InterMountain Electric Co. in San Carlos; $50,000 from Robert Bothman, Inc. in San Jose; $2,500 from Blach Construction in Santa Clara; $25,000 from Swinerton Management and Consulting, Inc. in San Francisco; $5,000 from CIS, Inc. in Pacifica; and $1,500 from Sugimura, Finny Architecture in San Jose. Only $205 was spent so far this year.

Burlingame’s parcel tax, Measure E, raised $33,474 with $458 coming from non-monetary donations. The bulk of the donations, $24,000, came from 13 families making individual donations between $1,000 to $5,000. School trustees Davina Drabkin and Michael Barber each contributed $500 to the effort. In addition, the parent teacher associations from Burlingame Intermediate School and Lincoln Elementary each contributed $999. Thus far, $6,075 has been spent on Measure E with most of it, $5,325, going to TBWB Strategies for campaign consulting.

Millbrae’s campaign supporting Measure N, on the other hand, has raised $12,950 and spent $10,921 thus far. Among the donations are: $100 from Peterson Sheet Metal Inc. in San Ramon; $500 from CIS, Inc.; $100 from the South San Francisco Scavenger Company; $250 from Hazard Management Services in Modesto; $10,000 from Blach Construction Company; $1,000 from Orrick, Herrington & Suttcliffe, LLP; and $1,000 from the Building and Construction Trades Council of San Mateo County. About half of the money spent thus far, $5,000, was used for Connell Lindh from Santa Rosa for campaign consulting. The rest of the money was used on postage and campaign literature.