Councilwoman Davila spent $61,000 in last year’s council at-large race, campaign filing
By Jayed Rahman
Published: May 28, 2015
More than one-year after she won a city council at-large seat, Maritza Davila’s 20-day post-election campaign finance report was received by the New Jersey Election Law Enforcement Commission (ELEC) on May 20th, 2015.
Davila’s report shows she has spent $61,544 in the May 2014 election while she raised $70,207, according to the report. Her spending is three times as much as $21,582 expended by Kenneth Morris, councilman at-large.
“People spend based on the availability of the resources they have,” said Morris, “and how much they feel they need to get their message out.”
“I never spend that much, but I do things a little differently,” said Morris. He said he spent much of his money on get-out-the-vote efforts. He said his campaign hires city young people to hand out campaign literatures so that they can earn some money.
Alex Mendez, councilman at-large, who also won a seat last May, has yet to file his post-election report. Joe Donohue, deputy director for ELEC, confirmed the state has yet to receive Mendez’s 20-day post election report.
Mendez’s 11-day pre-election report shows $14,214 in spending. Mendez raised $15,000, according to that report.
Mendez could not be reached for comments.
Davila’s report shows her largest contribution came from the District Council Ironworkers Funds of Northern New Jersey in the amount of $5,000.
The second largest contribution came from Virginia-based TEP Solutions and Consulting in the amount of $1,000. She also received local contributions from Market Street attorney Wayne A. Keller in the amount of $300. And $500 from assemblyman Benjie Wimberly’s campaign, according to the report.
Commenting on late filings: “We’re all guilty of being a little late,” said Morris. When asked if he’s ever been late more than a year, he said he’s been late a week or two, but never 12 months.
“It’s a responsibility to be transparent and part of that transparency is letting people know where your money came from and where it was spent,” said Morris. So far though, that transparency has been absent, especially with Davila and Mendez.
Both have made headlines on multiple occasions for being late in filing election finance reports during the election and more recently in the past few weeks.
Davila could not immediately be reached for comments.
Correction (June 1st, 2015): A previous story stated Joe Donohue was a spokesperson for NJ ELEC, when in fact, he is the deputy director.