By Ruth Longoria

More than $50,000 was spent by the Island’s six candidates in this year’s City Council election, according to the state of Washington Public Disclosure Commission (PDC). Much of that money was contributed by fellow Islanders and was in amounts of $100 or less. Most of the candidates also received somewhat larger sums from out-of-area friends and family members or from in-kind donations.

As of Friday, the PDC reported the candidates spent a combined $53,466.05 on their campaigns.

That amount is considerably more than what was spent during the 2003 council races. In that race most candidates, with the exception of Steve Litzow, spent less than the amount that requires a candidate to file PDC reports. However, none of this year’s candidates came close to collecting or spending the nearly $30,000 spent by Councilman Litzow, who won a seat in 2003.

The least amount of election money was spent on the race for the position No. 4 council seat, held — and retained — by Councilman Jim Pearman. Pearman and his challenger Bob Baker spent a combined $11,167.82. Of that, Pearman spent $2,430.06.

In the race between Brenda Finkenbinder and Mike Grady the totals were much higher. A combined $21,277.27 was spent on the position No. 6 race. The larger share came from Finkenbinder supporters, who donated $15,454. Of that, Finkenbinder spent almost $15, 379. Grady collected $8,205 in campaign contributions and spent about $5,642. Grady won the election with 53 percent of the vote.

In what turned out to be the most expensive race, as well as the closest race vote-wise, Dan Grausz kept his seat on the Council against challenger Lisa Belden O’Meara. Grausz garnered 52.42 percent of the vote. Between the two candidates, $21,277.27 was spent on the race. Grausz received just more than $12,563 in contributions and spent about $11,190. Belden O’Meara collected almost $11,156 in contributions and spent just over $10, 087.

The candidates’ donation totals include in kind contributions. Most are for donations of printing and other services. Grausz received by far the largest in-kind donation, from a Seattle printing and mailing service, McCallum Print Group, of $5,631 in services. The owner of that company is a friend of Grausz’s and fellow-Islander, Grausz said.

Other contributions of note to the candidates came from Island builder James Cassan who gave $500 to candidate Brenda Finkenbinder and $250 to Grausz. Cassan’s company, Dollar Development, also contributed $500 to Finkenbinder. Grausz received an Oct. 22 contribution of $1,000 from Seattle attorney, Steve Berman, who lives on the Island.