Brandon Twp – While campaign collections are reaching millions of dollars in the presidential arena, the local race for Brandon Township Supervisor is costing candidates more than ever.
The Michigan Department of State Bureau of Elections law states that if a candidate committee spends or receives $1,000.01 or more by July 13, the committee must file a financial disclosure statement with the elections bureau by July 18, 2004.
The report is to include detailed revenue and expenses, as well as in-kind services as revenue, such as a hosted campaign fund-raiser, assisting in posting campaign signs, or advertising.
Further, no committee is permitted to receive over $500 per contribution.
According to a campaign financial report (or pre-election report) filed by current Township Supervisor Ron Lapp on July 18, his re-election campaign expenditures exceed the 2000 campaign by more than $1,000. In 2000 Lapp defeated current Republican opponent Bonnie Kerin.
Lapp said his 2000 campaign finances differ slightly in that the ‘lion’s share? of his revenue was from his own pocket compared to the 2004 where the majority of his revenue has come from contributions. In 2000 signs and ads are his biggest expense.
In the 2004 campaign Lapp says he is proud that the majority of his $6,500 revenue was from private contributions.
His expenses have remained focused on advertising and signs, anticipating to spend slightly more from August through November, including in-kind services for a website, which he says will be reported in the post-election report to the county.
While she has declined to reveal exact financial records for her campaign, Republican supervisor hopeful, Bonnie Kerin says she spent ‘way over? her $1,500 campaign in 2000.
‘I ran a full campaign,? said Kerin, explaining that she expended more than $5,000 in advertising.
In comparison Kerin said in the current 2004 campaign for supervisor, she has tripled the amount of signs throughout the township and installed four video cameras to the larger signs.
The cameras, she says, were originally purchased as a donation to the Ortonville Historical Society, including the video tapes.
Kerin’s financial records were submitted on July 26, past the pre-election due date. The report does not include the camera expense.
Kerin says having a website has added to the increaseed expense in her 2004 campaign, but feels she has run her campaign pretty much they way she had planned.
Another supervisor hopeful, Democrat Becky Gilpin says the 2004 campaign expenses out pace the 2000 race.
‘In 2000 I just bought signs for a couple hundred dollars,? said Gilpin adding that she never intended to have to launch an advertising campaign before the primary.
Gilpin decided to launch her newspaper advertising campaign after opponent Norm Kapson announced his intention to run for supervisor. Both candidates are seeking the Democratic nomination for supervisor.
Currently Gilpin says her expenditures for 10 weeks of advertising will total between $1,300 – $1,500, and she intends to purchase campaign signs after the primary election. The current yards signs were from the 2000 election.
Gilpin says she has not incurred fund-raising expenses as she has not yet had one.
‘I’m really trying to keep costs at a minimum for the general election,? she said, adding that she has spend funds on establishing a website.
To date, Gilpin did not file the financial expense report.
Opponent Norm Kapson said he hasn’t spent one penny on the campaign and does not intend to do so.
‘If the residents know me that’s great,? he said.
‘If they don’t they aren’t going to find out who I am by me telling them who I am, anyhow.?
Currently Kapson is not required by election law to file a pre-election financial statement as he has not raised or spent more than $1,000.01.