Card Club Supporters Spend $13,532 on Stanton Campaign

STANTON —  Supporters of Measure A, a card club initiative on the city’s June 8 ballot, have so far spent $13,532 on their campaign, according to a financial statement filed with the city clerk’s office.

The Committee for Community Pride and Forward Vision--No on Measure A has raised and spent $2,310, according to the organization’s officials.

The owners of the Indoor Swap Meet of Stanton are the sole contributors to Yes on Measure A--Stanton, with a $16,000 donation, according to campaign finance statements filed last week. The Yes on Measure A campaign headquarters are at 7936 Cerritos Ave., just across the street from the swap meet at 10401 Beach Blvd.

Ard Keuilian and his partners in Indoor Swap Meet approached the City Council last March with a proposal to turn their two-story building into a card club. After heated debate, the council decided to put the issue on the June 8 ballot.

Measure A asks voters whether the city should allow the clubs but does not specify a site. If the measure passes, the City Council would consider applications to open card clubs.

The period covered in the campaign finance statement filed by Yes on Measure A is from Jan. 1 through April 24. The statement is required of any campaign group that raises more than $1,000.

According to the Yes on Measure A statement, the organization has paid $8,500 to the Broadway Group, consultants in Santa Ana. The Broadway Group has spent another $5,616 of Yes on Measure A’s money on the campaign. Other general campaign expenses were for utilities and headquarters staff, according to the statement.

Former Councilman David John Shawver, who is leading the campaign against Measure A, said his group only recently raised enough money to require filing a campaign finance statement. Shawver said all the money has been spent on copying costs for literature, which his volunteers are distributing in neighborhoods.