ANAHEIM : Mayoral Candidates’ Coffers Equally Full

The two candidates for the mayor’s post are within a few thousand dollars of each other in the competition for contributions, documents filed Friday show.

The incumbent, Fred Hunter, who has said his goal is to raise $100,000 for the campaign, reported taking in $40,341 during the filing period of July 1 though Sept. 30, bringing his total to $84,802 this year.

Mayor Pro Tem Irv Pickler reported collecting $13,869 during the same period for a total of $88,715 pulled in this year.

For Hunter, who has pledged to return to office on the strength of grass-roots support, the documents filed Friday show contributions from big-business interests as well as labor unions and neighborhood associations.

Among Hunter’s contributors are Walt Disney Co., which gave $500, and political action committees for the Anaheim Police Officers Assn. and Anaheim firefighters, which each gave $1,000.

Hunter’s largest expenditure, $6,950, went to produce a telephone poll last month that showed the mayor with a strong lead over Pickler and a substantial bloc of undecided voters.

The poll, produced by San Francisco-based Charlton Research, surveyed 300 registered voters in various parts of the city, according to the mayor, and found 45% in favor of Hunter, 24% for Pickler and 31% undecided.

Pickler reported spending a total of $57,485 so far this year, primarily for his campaign consultant and for the printing and mailing of campaign material. His major contributors, giving $1,000 each, were developers and business people, including attorney Floyd Farano, the ARA political action committee (representing Anaheim Stadium service suppliers), promoter George Colouris, Lincoln Properties and an employee for Arnold Construction Co.

In addition to vying for the mayor’s post, both Hunter and Pickler are running for reelection to their council seats.

Aside from the contributions gleaned by Hunter and Pickler, Bob Simpson topped the other five council candidates, raising just over $21,000 during the latest filing period.

Simpson, formerly Anaheim’s city manager and fire chief, has the most prestigious list of supporters, including L.A. Rams owner Georgia Frontiere, who gave $1,000.

Two other Rams executives and the Walt Disney Co. also gave $1,000 to his campaign.

In addition, Simpson leads the five candidates running only for council seats in total money raised to date, with a little more than $67,000.

Joann Barnett, a trustee in the Anaheim Union High School District, brought in $14,935 during the latest filing period, increasing her total to $26,355.

Planning Commissioner Frank Feldhaus raised $9,774 during the period for a total of just under $54,000. Feldhaus has a broad base of support from local business people and has been endorsed by the Anaheim Chamber of Commerce political action committee, which donated $1,000.

The chamber PAC also endorsed Simpson and gave $1,000 to his campaign.

Councilwoman Miriam Kaywood, who has yet to display campaign placards because she believes they lend a “trashy” look to the community, raised $8,545 during the reporting period to give her campaign a total of $43,388.

John Schaeffer, the youngest candidate and a newcomer to the Anaheim political scene, filed a statement with the city declaring that he would not be raising more than the $1,000 minimum amount required for filing of contribution reports.