Williams, Balmer miss campaign report deadline

By Eric Maddy
The SCORE

Mayor Mike Williams and city councilor Howard Balmer, the two members of the city council with the longest tenure, both missed Monday’s noon deadline to file financial disclosure statements for their election campaigns.

Williams, who spent more than $50,000 in an unsuccessful bid to become mayor two years ago, reported raising $8,000 and spending $74.95 in his first report on Feb. 4. Williams, who subsequently was voted deputy mayor by his peers and then promoted to mayor when Kevin Jackson resigned, is seeking to return to his District 1 council seat.

In District 4, Balmer reported donations and expenses of $296.71 in his first report. Neither candidate’s reports include expenses for campaign literature, yard signs and rented mobile signs that have been the subject of controversy in recent days.

Williams’ opponents, Peter Rivas and Rosemary Owen, report donations of $450 and $285, respectively, with Owen financing her own campaign. Rivas reports five donors, none over $200.

Balmer’s lone opponent, former acting police chief Steven L. Shaw, reported $665 in new contributions during the second reporting period, including a $50 donation from former Mayor John Jennings. Shaw himself added $115 to his campaign account.

In total, Shaw has reported $4,350.04 in both expenses and donations in his campaign.

Two other candidates did not file financial statements: mayoral hopefuls Kim Rytter and Stephen Meyer, who has yet to appear at any campaign forum or public event. A third candidate, John McKinney, submitted a declaration that he has neither spent nor received more than $250, exempting him from the reporting requirements.

Mayoral candidate Tom Swisstack continued to lead the campaign finance race with $53,900 raised and $40,533.10 spent as itemized on his report. If elected, Swisstack stands to earn $48,000 during the next two years he would serve completing Jackson’s term.

Other mayoral candidate’s expense totals include Tim Crum ($2,440.04) Bill White ($1,566.12) and Jim Owen ($950.91). Owen and his wife Rosemary are the only candidate running a deficit, as he and his wife both owes his own printing company $55 for campaign materials.

In District 6, two candidates have raised more than $11,000 and one filed a report claiming no expenses. Kathy Colley is the top spender at $10,324.26, with most of that ($6,156.78) going in three payments to Two Roads Media & Politics for campaign mailers.  Incumbent Marilyn Salzman reports $8,234.39 in expenses, including $1,054.29 in newspaper advertising, $766.95 in printing and $1,064.27 in mailing costs.

Council candidate Lonnie Clayton’s report shows no contributions or expenses, and Charles Smiroldo spent $454.22 out of his own pocket on signs. Unfortunately for him he did not pay the city its $55 fee for stickers to attach to the 25 signs, prompting Salzman to file a complaint with the code enforcement division of the newly-renamed Rio Rancho Police Department.

Candidate Todd Hathorne reported $1,550 in contributions and $907.84 in expenses.