BISD candidates report contributions, expenses

Candidates in next week's BISD school board election reported $36,787 in campaign contributions and expenses of nearly the same amount for the campaign expense reporting period ended Oct. 4.

By far the biggest spenders - and recipients of campaign contributions - were the two incumbents seeking re-election to the Brownsville Independent School District Board of Trustees, Place 3 Trustee Herman Otis Powers Jr., and Place 4 Trustee Pat Lehmann, and his opponent Richard E. "Rick" Zayas.

Powers reported contributions totaling $11,032.17 between July 1 and Oct. 6, and political expenditures totaling $12,469.74. That resulted in a campaign war chest of $1,978.17 at the end of the reporting period. The figures reflect a balance of $3,415.74 carried over from the previous reporting period, Jan. 1 through June 30.

By contrast, Powers's opponent Catalina Presas-Garcia reported contributions of $2,300 and expenditures of $1,676.

The Nov. 4 General Election will include the BISD ballot for the first time this year. BISD's election includes a three-way race to fill an open seat on the school board, and contested races for Powers' and Lehmann's seats

Lehmann reported contributions between July 6 and Oct. 4 of $6,855, expenditures of $6,236.36 and a $4,423.95 fund balance at the end of the reporting period, the same amount he reported at the end of the previous reporting period on July 15.

Zayas, meanwhile, reported $6,445 in contrubutions, expenditures of $12,372.56 and contributions maintained as of the last day of the reporting period totaling $5,930.65, roughly the difference between contributions and expenditures in the report.

In the three-way race for Position 6, former board member Joe Cadriel reported contributions of $1,500 and expenses of $850.

Cadriel, who has served as school board president but did not seek re-election in 2006 because of residency concerns, listed the $1,500 in contributions as coming from "ticket sales." He listed one $850 expense dated Oct. 1, to Fiesta Graphics, 205 Paredes Line Rd., for political signs.

Cadriel listed the report as covering Aug. 26 through Sept. 25. The report did not list an ending balance.

The race is for the seat held by Susan Galvan, and formerly by Cadriel. Galvan did not seek re-election because she has moved to Austin to become the principal of a middle school there.

Also running are Moisses Gonzalez, a special agent for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and Minerva M. Peña, a retired Texas State Trooper.

Peña listed no contributions and expenses of under $50 each totaling $287, which are not required to be itemized.

Gonzalez reported contributions totaling $2,725 from fundraiser ticket sales on Oct. 6, personal loans by himself to his campaign of $250 and $200, expenses of $2,279.27, and a resulting fund balance of $445.73. He said expenses were for such things as printing costs for political signs, material to post them, newspaper advertising, and building rental and permit fees for his ticket fundraiser.

Powers listed a contribution of $2,000 on July 20 from Ted Parker of Lubbock; contributions of $200 each from Narciso Escareno of Brownsville on Aug. 8 and Mario and Anna Villarreal, also of Brownsville, on Aug. 19, in addition to a $100 contribution from A.X. Benavides of Brownsville.

He lists $8,532 in contributions from a fundraiser held on Oct. 1.

Powers lists political expenditures totaling $12,469.74, which include a payment of $1,500 on Sept. 12 and another of $1,000 on Sept. 29 to Victory Data of 5196 Sugar Mill Road in Brownsville for "political research."

Other listed political expenditures include $1,158.13 to Solice, 7200 Bonham Rd. on Sept. 13 for push cards/caps, of $850 on Sept. 19 for 4 by 4 signs and of $212.50 on Sept. 30 for bumper stickers.

Also, among others, $2,357.17 to Valley International Country Club for a dinner-fundraiser, $429.52 to The Brownsville Herald for advertising, $433 to to Fiesta Graphics for t-shirts; $150 to New York Deli II for gift cards, $750 to Miguel Gallegos of Brownsville for a radio ad, and $600 to Manuel Rodriguez of Brownsville for advertising

Presas-Garcia reported two contributions: $800 from Ali Guajardo of Brownsville and $1,500 from Ysaias E. Presas of Brownsville. She reported expenses of $1,400 for campaign signs to J.A. Sports & Printing, $53 to Home Depot for nails, wood and other materials for signs, and an additional $223 to J.A. Sports & Printing for an unstated purpose.

Lehmann reported these contributions: $60 from the Law Office of Jose R. Hernandez of Brownsville; $500 from Dr. Jose and Kathleen R. Himenez of Rancho Viejo; $250 from Neel Fulghum of Brownsville; $100 from Cesar S. Treviño of Brownsville; $565 from a fundraiser at Valley International Country Club; $120 from Janet Lee Leal; $3,825 from raffle fundraiser tickets, and $200 from Susan Galvan.

He reported expenses including $1,300 and $500 to J.A. Sports & Printing for political material; $501 to Beautiful People News of Brownsville for a political ad, a total of $1,891.59 to The Brownsville Herald for the same purpose; $272.79 to Lad T-Shirts of Brownsville for political t-shirts; $273.73 to Home Depot for supplies; and $653.23 to VICC Restaurant for a meet-the-candidate fundraiser

Zayas reported these contributions: $250 from Hodge & Shergold LLP of Brownsville; $250 from Bruce Tharp of Brownsville; $200 from Gloria P. Garcia of Brownsville; $500 from Surya P & Manjula Raguthu of Brownsville; $50 from Bob and Sujatha Korapaty of Brownsville; $500 from Jorge Sanchez of Brownsville; $20 from P. Rose and Ray T. Dupte of Brownsville; $75 from Vibuti K and Dulcinea A. Sharma of Brownsville; $250 from Blanca Zamora-Garcia of Austin; and $100 from Dutch Fisher of Brownsville.

Also, $1,000 each from Joe A. Zayas and the Law Office of Patricia A. Hernandez, P.C., both of Brownsville; $100 from Christopher J. And Laura K. Hughston of Brownsville; $100 from David C. Hughston of Brownsville; $50 from Ford L. And Jackie Lockett of Brownsville; and $2,000 from Joe D. And Kathleen Zayas of Rancho Viejo.

Zayas lists these expenses: $1,036 to Joann Gonzalez of Brownsville for advertising; $112 to Roxanne Gutierrez of Brownsville for advertising; $500 to Denise Landgraf of Brownsville for photography; $6,283.91 to J.A. Sports & Printing for signs; $4,321.80 to Millar Hollander of Brownsville for advertising; $100 to Joey Garza for distribution of advertisments and $18.85 to Deluxe Checks for checks.