Greenlight most costly campaign in Newport history

Mathis Winkler

NEWPORT BEACH -- The battle over Greenlight is in the books as the

city’s most expensive election campaign ever.

Greenlight opponents spent more than $720,000 on their failed attempt

to defeat the slow-growth initiative in November, according to financial

campaign statements filed with the city clerk’s office Thursday.

The Irvine Co. topped the list of Measure T contributors with

$427,000.

Supporters of Measure S, the Greenlight Initiative, who raised less

than $100,000, said Thursday their grass-rootscampaigning led to their

success.

“The residents of the city were too smart to let the Irvine Co. and

outside developers buy our city,” said Phil Arst, a Greenlight leader.

Arst added that his group hoped company officials would now listen to

residents more carefully.

“It is time for a fresh start,” he said, adding that Greenlighters are

calling upon the company’s chairman, Donald Bren, to “donate the same sum

spent in their campaign against the residents to our public schools.”

Bren also should renew company promises to no longer seek major

developments at Newport Center, as well as to stay out of any legal

challenges against Greenlight, Arst said.

“We await his timely answer,” he said.

Orange County’s largest developer previously set the record by doling

out about $530,000 to oppose a 1986 ballot initiative against the

expansion of Newport Center. Greenlight author Allan Beek also helped to

defeat the company in that election.

While supporters of the anti-Greenlight Measure T still had about

$63,852 in outstanding debts at the close of the last reporting period,

Dec. 31, campaign officials said they had paid off the money by Thursday.

Final contributors will be released with the next report, due July 31,

said former Mayor Tom Edwards, a co-chair of the Measure T campaign.

“We want to thank everybody who worked so hard,” Edwards said. “Win or

lose, we did our best and we should be congratulated for standing up for

what was right.”

Apart from the Irvine Co., other top contributors to the Measure T

campaign included the California Assn. of Realtors, with $52,000, and the

Building Industry of Southern California, with $24,500.

By comparison, Greenlight supporters forked out about $97,000 to lead

their initiative to victory. Most of the contributions came from the

city’s residents, with only a few larger than $1,000.

In two of the three council district seats up for election, the

biggest fund-raisers also made it behind the dais.

In District 2, where former Councilwoman Jan Debay was forced to

vacate her seat because of term limits, Councilman Gary Proctor emerged

as the victor, raising $68,145 and spending $51,909. Dennis Lahey, one of

his opponents, had not filed a report as of Thursday. As of November,

Lahey had raised about $2,449. Steven Rosansky, the third candidate, did

not have to file a report because he spent less than $1,000.

Councilman Steve Bromberg, who replaced former Mayor John Noyes as the

representative for District 5, raised $62,802 and spent $62,544.

Runner-up Patricia M. Beek also had not filed new reports but had raised

about $21,997 by election day. The third contender, Robert Schoonmaker,

spent less than $1,000 on his campaign and was not required to file a

report.

Unlike the other winners, Councilman John Heffernan, who defeated

incumbent Tom Thomson and former City Manager Bob Wynn in the race for

District 7, was elected despite spending much less than his opponents.

Heffernan, who put up $31,443 of his own money and did not accept

contributions, spent about $30,594. Thomson raised $61,750 and spent

$52,902, with Wynn raising $63,906 and spending $63,886.

Thomson, Bromberg and Proctor also benefited from mailers and

newspaper advertisements that the Newport Beach Police Assn. Voter

Awareness Committee put out on their behalf. The group spent about $5,552

for each of the three candidates.