FPPC fines Lodi Measure U committee

STOCKTON — The Lodi Unified Measure U committee has been fined $4,000 by the California Fair Political Practices Commission for failing to file a pre-election statement and several contribution reports by an Oct. 27 deadline.

The fine is a recommendation at this point until the FPPC votes on the settlement on Jan. 19, which it is expected to do.

The FPPC said there is no evidence that violations were deliberate or there was never any intent by the Measure U committee or its treasurer to conceal funds.

“These were honest mistakes, and the committee accepts full responsibility,” committee consultant Stephen Reid wrote in an email.

According to court documents, the Measure U committee and its treasurer, Kelley Brown, failed to submit signification contributions and expenditures on time.

Measure U, which won 65 percent of the vote in the Nov. 8 election, will allow Lodi Unified to issue $281 million in bonds to repair and upgrade its campuses spread across 50 schools from north Stockton to Acampo.

The measure allows the district to make its schools safe and secure by removing lead paint, asbestos and mold and update buildings and classrooms.

According to the measure, homeowners will pay no more than $60 in additional property tax for every $100,000 assessed on their property to pay for the bond.

Before any general election, court records show, a bond measure committee must file a pre-election statement no later than 12 days before the election. Additionally, a committee must also file a 24-Hour Contribution Report within 24 hours of receiving a contribution of $1,000 or more.

The violations are due to the Political Reform Act, in which any ballot measure committee must file campaign statements and reports showing contributions it receives and expenditures it makes.

The purpose of the act, court documents said, is to ensure receipts and expenditures in election campaigns are fully disclosed.

Court documents said the Measure U committee and Brown did not in a timely manner file a pre-election statement for the period of Sept. 25 to Oct. 22 with a reported statement of $72,775 in contributions and $66,366 in expenditures during that period.

The statement was filed five days past the Oct. 27 deadline, records show. The FPPC also found six late 24-Hour Contribution Reports for the same period.

The fine will be paid out of private funds, Reid said, and all money raised by the school bond will continue to go toward repairs and safety upgrades promised in the bond’s language.

“We appreciated the support of over 65 percent of Lodi Unified voters and look forward to making our schools safer and more accessible to our students,” wrote Reid.

Earlier on Dec. 15, the FPCC voted 3-0 to levy fines against Lathrop-Manteca Fire board member Jeremy Coe, Escalon Unified trustee Nicholas Caton, Tracy Unified trustee Sondra Gilbert, Manteca Unified candidate Tony Bechtold and Stockton Unified candidate Doug Vigil for failing to properly report campaign contributions and expenditures in the three months leading up to the Nov. 8 election.