The money momentum has swung back to the “business” candidates in the race for the Lawrence City Commission. But both sides are raising and spending ever-increasing piles of cash.

Campaign finance reports filed Monday revealed that City Commission candidates Lee Gerhard and Greg DiVilbiss combined to raise $16,315 between Feb. 14 and March 20.

That’s more than the $13,878 raised in the same period by the trio of candidates supported by the “smart growth” Progressive Lawrence Campaign — Mike Rundle, Dennis “Boog” Highberger and David Schauner.

Lynn Goodell, the final “business” candidate, failed to file the report by Monday’s deadline. He said it would be filed today.

DiVilbiss said the reports showed the race was still competitive.

“I would say that it probably means momentum is shifting our way,” DiVilbiss said, “and that people are coming out to support our ideas.”

Schauner challenged that assertion, saying much of the financial support for Gerhard and DiVilbiss came from developers.

“I’m not surprised,” Schauner said. “Builders and developers have more disposable income than average taxpayers. I’ve considered myself a people’s candidate since the beginning, and I never thought I could raise the same money as a Chamber (of Commerce) candidate.”

Momentum

Money momentum has been a recent indicator of electoral momentum. In 2001, David Dunfield finished sixth in fund raising and fourth in votes during the primary election; he was first in money and second in votes during the general election season.

Even with the late surge, however, the business candidates were just neck-and-neck in the money race with the Progressive Lawrence candidates.

Combined primary and general election fund-raising and spending reported so far:

See contribution lists:¢ Mike Rundle¢ Dennis “Boog” Highberger¢ David Schauner¢ Lynn Goodell (not updated)¢ Lee Gerhard¢ Greg DiVilbiss

• Rundle has raised $16,885 and spent $15,994.
• Gerhard has raised $15,022 and spent $10,372.
• Highberger has raised $14,553 and spent $12,884.
• DiVilbiss has raised $11,675 and spent $9,678.
• Schauner has raised $10,373 and spent $6,962.

Even without Goodell’s report, the cash raised and spent in this campaign has eclipsed the previous campaign.

By this point in 2001, the six candidates had combined to raise $57,829 and spend $48,378.

So far in 2003, the five reporting candidates have raised $68,508 and spent $55,890.

The money has primarily been spent on print and television advertising. Nearly all the money was spent in Lawrence. The only exception: Gerhard’s campaign paid $95.40 to an Illinois man to build the campaign Web site.

Excess?

That’s not all the money in the race. Two political action committees were created for this campaign.

Progressive Lawrence has spent $8,060 during this campaign season — including $3,802 to print and mail a “get-out-the-vote” tabloid to Lawrence households. The printing was done in Burlingame, but officials said no local company could print the tabloid.

“Believe me, when we can do things locally, we do,” said Melinda Henderson, coordinator for the Progressive Lawrence Campaign.

Truth for a Better Lawrence, created to support the remaining candidates, did not file its campaign finance report Monday.

Maley Wilkins, treasurer for the PAC, said it would be filed today.

Gerhard said he was uncomfortable with the growing amounts of money needed to mount a campaign.

“The fact that I’ve had to raise that kind of money has already — I’m not sure if I want to say it’s insulted me, but I’m not sure what other term to use,” he said. “I’m exceedingly unhappy this kind of money is going into the City Commission race. But that’s what happens when you start practicing big-city politics.”

Rundle chalked it up to the price of campaigning.

“It just costs money to get your message out there,” he said. “The only way to change that is to get public financing of campaigns, and I don’t think that’s around the corner.”

The election is April 1. The top three vote-getters earn terms on the commission.