SANTA CRUZ — Opponents fighting Measure M’s rent control and just eviction regulations have a huge edge in campaign cash, raising more than $750,000 and dwarfing the $38,000 raised by tenant advocates as both sides reach out to the city’s 35,926 registered voters before the Nov. 6 election.
No on M, formed by the California Apartment Association, reported $548,550 raised as of Sept. 22. Santa Cruz Together, a locally organized group, reported $206,525, and the Movement for Housing Justice, which submitted the 33-page measure, $37,854.
The ballot measure would limit rent increases and restrict evictions, which tenant advocates say is needed because rents in the city rose 46 percent in four years according to Zillow, and evictions have disrupted lives. Opponents agree there is a housing crisis but say restrictions will make the housing shortage worse.
The campaign reports, due last Thursday, show the California Apartment Association has $352,262 cash on hand but owes $49,437 to Wheelhouse Strategy Group in Roseville.
The largest donor is the National Association of Realtors, which has contributed $200,000.
The California Association of Realtors Issues Mobilization Political Action Committee gave $20,000.
Pacific Shores, a 206-unit rental complex at 1240 Shaffer Road, Santa Cruz, gave $18,450, and 1010 Pacific Investors, a complex of 113 apartments at 1010 Pacific Ave., Santa Cruz, gave $10,350. Both complexes are owned by Pacific Union Homes, which in August was acquired by Compass. a venture-backed real estate brokerage firm in New York.
Santa Cruz Coast of Los Gatos gave $16,000.
Santa Cruz Seaside Co., which owns rental apartments in Santa Cruz, gave $20,000.
Other Santa Cruz contributors in this report include: Carolyn Ahrens of Ahrens Property Management, $1,400; Far West Trailer Sales, $1,000; and orthodontist Stanley Sokolow, $250.
The campaign’s expertise has come from out of town, spending $92,372 with Wheelhouse Strategy for mailings, website, newspaper and broadcast ads, $38,346 with Dan Siwulec Communications Marketing of Pacific Palisades for mailings, and $27,000 for polling by American Strategies of Washington, D.C.
Santa Cruz Together
Santa Cruz Together reported 250 contributors.
The biggest donors are Lighthouse Realty of Santa Cruz, owned by Peter Cook, and Aptos CPA Jeffrey Newhouse. Each gave $5,500.
Wolfsen Properties, Santa Cruz, and Swenson Builders, Santa Cruz, each gave $5,000. So did Santa Cruz Seaside Co., which also gave to the California Apartment Association’s campaign.
Raymond Street Apartments, a partnership in Cerritos, gave $4,800, and Locust St LLC Santa Cruz, managed by Brion Sprinsock, gave $3,500.
Jerald Spodick, Santa Cruz, a retired real estate broker, gave $3,000, Rossana Bruni of Soquel gave $2,700, and Bixler Family LLC of Santa Cruz gave $2,400.
Donations of $2,000 were made by DT Operations Division of Santa Cruz, builder Clarum Partners LLC of Santa Cruz, Lawrence Wolfsen of Santa Cruz, John Burroughs, Santa Cruz financial advisor, and Artina Morton, Santa Cruz hair stylist.
Jeffrey Tucker, a Santa Cruz computer dealer, gave $1,600, Vallance Cole, a Santa Cruz consultant, gave $1,500, and Marian Brown, an Aptos retiree, gave $1,200.
There were donations of $1,000 from George Ow Jr., Santa Cruz, Curtis Galloway, Google manager, Santa Cruz, Bei-Scott Co. Santa Cruz, SDN Locatelli Family, Santa Cruz, Carle & Carle Properties, Santa Cruz, Harry Dong, Dong Ventures, Santa Cruz, Robert Williams of Williams Family Property, Santa Cruz, Canyon View Capital, Santa Cruz, Corinda Ray, property manager, Santa Cruz, Eric Grodberg, handyman, Santa Cruz, Tamara Smith, teacher, Santa Cruz, and Patricia O’Brien, health care manager, Santa Cruz, and retiree Dennis Stewart.
Other $1,000 donations from outside Santa Cruz came from Rick and Ruth Moe, housing developer, Soquel, Walnut Ave. Properties of Watsonville, IBEW Local 234 Political Action Committee, John Allanson, insurance, Aptos, Bare Investments, San Jose, and retirees Robert Kemp, Ben Lomond, Robert Kerb, Los Gatos, and Michael Scott, Los Gatos.
Laurel St LLC, a partnership in Santa Cruz, and Linda Houston of Saratoga, a property manager, each gave $800.
Retired Santa Cruz attorney David Baskin gave $759.
Debra Wallace of Karon Properties in Santa Cruz, Andy Kay, real estate agent with Sereno Group in Santa Cruz and Jon Lee, Swenson project manager in Santa Cruz, gave $750 each.
About 20 individuals and businesses donated $500 each. The other donations were smaller, including Cynthia Mathews for Council in Santa Cruz, which contributed $175.
Santa Cruz Together tapped local businesses for its campaign, spending $9,348 at Community Printers in Santa Cruz for campaign literature, $3,837 at Alpha Graphics, Scotts Valley, for print ads, and paying Santa Cruz campaign consultants Robert Singleton $3,492 and Josie Buchanan of Santa Cruz $3,358.
Movement for Housing Justice
The Movement for Housing Justice reported more than 75 contributors.
The donor was Frederick Bogert, a Santa Cruz computer programmer who gave $3,000.
The California Teamsters Public Affairs Council gave $1,500 and the California Nurses Association Initiative Political Action Committee gave $1,000.
Rachel O’Malley of Santa Cruz, a professor who is married to Councilman Chris Krohn, gave $1,000 and Sean Dougherty of Santa Cruz, an engineer at Apple, gave $1,009.
Kyle McKinley of Santa Cruz, who works at Stanford University gave $700, and Michael Gasser of Santa Cruz, gave $489.
All of the other donations were smaller.
The biggest campaign expenses were $4,405 for campaign coordinator Steve Schnaar of Santa Cruz and $2,635 to Community Printers of Santa Cruz for campaign materials.
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