Stark’s fundraiser cash kept apart, records say

Wed., Sept. 13, 2006

By Jonathan Brunt jonathanb@spokesman.com (509) 459-5442

Endorsement

Neither GOP candidate for assessor won the endorsement of the county's largest employee union. Instead, Local 1553, the county courthouse employees union that includes assessor's office workers, is supporting Democrat Judy Personett for the position. She has no opposition in the Democratic primary.

Ad watch

The ad: Martin W. Howser, who owns Community Cable Service, has spent $2,150 in ads opposing Stark's candidacy. In them, he questions Stark on a number of issues regarding campaign finance violations and his record on the Spokane City Council.

Stark's response: Stark called the claims in the ad "false, inaccurate and without merit." Also, Stark, who has more than a year left on his City Council term, denies a claim in the ad that says he said in 2003 that he would not seek other offices before his four years were up.

Howser's response: Howser did not return calls seeking comment on Tuesday.

Baker's response: Baker says he's never met or talked to Howser and had no prior knowledge of the ads.

Bottom line: While slanted, some of the claims are mostly based in truth. It is true, for instance, that Stark proposed to sell Joe Albi Stadium for $2.3 million in 2005 even though the county assessor's office values it at $26.6 million. It also is true that Stark neglected to report to the state $5,000 he raised in 2005 for his City Council campaign. However, Howser accused Stark, who is running as a Republican, of giving $150 to the campaign of Democratic state Senate candidate Chris Marr. Stark did give Marr money, but campaign filings show that he gave $100 to Marr.

Cash collected by City Councilman Brad Stark for his run at city office appears to have been kept separate from his war chest for county assessor, as required by law.

Questions about the whereabouts of $5,000 he raised at an August 2005 fundraising barbecue were raised after it was revealed last month that Stark did not report the event to the state Public Disclosure Commission. Stark, who is in the midst of a GOP primary battle against incumbent Assessor Ralph Baker, said he held the event to retire a debt of about $1,000 from his 2003 campaign for City Council.

State campaign rules required Stark to file forms showing the donations made at the barbecue with the state more than a year ago.

As of Tuesday, Stark’s campaign still had not filed reports showing campaign contributors at the event. Stark said they will be filed in the coming days.

Washington Trust bank statements provided by Stark show the City Council campaign account had about $400 in it when he raised about $5,000 at the barbecue. He used almost $2,000 of the fund to pay for the barbecue. Besides that and minimal banking fees, the account hasn’t been touched.

Stark blamed the late filings on a hectic schedule.

“It was kind of just a comedy of errors,” Stark said. “It was an honest mistake. We’re fixing it and acknowledging it.”

Baker, however, questioned the honesty of the late filing and said a city councilman should know better.

“It just appears to me that he was going to keep that money,” Baker said. “He offers up excuses after he’s been caught, and that’s been the hallmark of this campaign. Oh, it was a mistake. Oh, yeah, right. Give me a break.”

Stark said Wednesday that he still has not paid the 2003 campaign debt that spurred him to hold the barbecue. He said he is working to settle the debt with Seattle firm Moxie Media in the coming days. He said he is uncertain how much he owes, but it is between $1,000 and $1,250.

“The folks who want to make political expediency about it don’t want to focus on their own record of poor service to the citizens,” Stark said.

Stark’s fundraiser cash kept apart, records say

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