Norwich parties take different financing tacks

Norwich — Republican and Democratic town committees have taken different financial paths this election, with most Democrats raising and spending their own money for the campaign and Republicans relying on the town committee for financial support.

All six Democratic City Council candidates along with incumbent city Treasurer Brian Curtin formed campaign committees to raise and spend money for their election bids.

None of the five Republican council candidates, nor Republican treasurer candidate Michael Gualtieri, formed committees, pledging to spend less than $1,000 on their campaigns.

But there are plenty of Republican campaign signs on display throughout Norwich— some billboard size touting the platform of lower taxes— and Republican radio ads have hit local airwaves. They all carry the tag “paid for by the Norwich Republican Town Committee.”

Campaign finance reports submitted by Tuesday’s deadline showed that the two town committees have had similar bankrolls — DTC with $4,726 and RTC with $ 4,610 before expenses— but used the money differently.

The Democratic committee has spent a total of $ 3,472 thus far, but paid for only one campaign flier featuring the party’s six Board of Education candidates. None of the six Democratic school board candidates formed individual campaign committees, but four donated $142 to the town committee, and incumbent Robert Aldi donated $150.

The DTC paid $ 1,000 to well- known statewide Democratic campaign consultant Farina Consulting for use of a statewide voter registration database. Other expenditures included hall rentals and supplies for several meet- andgreet sessions for all party candidates.

The RTC received several personal donations from in- dividual council candidates— including $500 from council candidate Stacy Gould and two from council candidate Gerald Martin, one for $535 and one for $300.

The RTC has spent $2,856 for signs, a post office box, a campaign kickoff event and radio ads on Hall Communications stations for individual candidates as well as the slate of candidates.

The six Democratic coun- cil candidates have raised amounts ranging from the less than $ 1,000 reported by incumbent Mark Bettencourt to the $4,101 raised by candidate and former Alderman H. Tucker Braddock.

Their campaign literature is marked “paid for” by their individual campaign committees. Spending ranged from $473 spent by council candidate Elanah Sherman to the $1,696 spent by former alder- man and council candidate Edward Martin.

Because Bettencourt raised less than $1,000 during the reporting period, he did not have to report expenses.

Curtin, the incumbent city treasurer, is financing his committee through a $1,600 personal loan, while other candidates sought donations from local supporters.