CITY COUNCIL CAMPAIGN EXPENSES DOWN

Thanks to a small field of candidates, which precluded a primary election, Cape Girardeau City Council candidates this year spent considerably less on their campaigns than in the last city election.

Melvin Gateley was the top vote-getter in the April 7 election, and he also spent the most. Gateley spent $1,575, barely exceeding the $1,555 spent by Melvin Kasten also in a successful bid for the council.

The expenditures were outlined in campaign finance disclosure reports filed last week with the Cape Girardeau County clerk's office. The reports were due May 7, 30 days after the election.

One candidate, Loretta Schneider, missed the deadline for filing the report. Also, candidate Lawrence Godfrey filed a form claiming he was exempt from the disclosure requirements because he received less than $1,000 in contributions; spent less than $1,000; and didn't receive $250 or more from any single contributor.

Godfrey and Schneider were defeated in the council election.

Another candidate, former councilman Hugh White, filed for re-election but soon dropped out of the race when he announced his intention to seek a state Senate seat.

Schneider said Tuesday afternoon she raised and spent less than $500 in the race and should be exempt from the disclosure. She said she wasn't aware she needed to file an exemption form and hoped to clarify the matter at the county clerk's office today.

The campaign disclosure reports contrasted sharply with those filed in the last city council election in 1990. In that election, which included a primary and mayoral race, the two candidates for the mayor's race alone spent nearly $22,000.

Mayor Gene Rhodes spent $12,671 in his successful bid for re-election, while challenger Al Spradling III, a city councilman, spent $9,125.

Spradling successfully ran for re-election to the council this year, but spent only $1,350 in the race.

The five council candidates' total expenses of about $4,500 also is far less than in 1990, when three of the candidates spent more than that individually.

Ironically, the top spenders in 1990 Mike Edwards, who spent nearly $7,000, and Jim Rust, who spent $5,669 both failed to get elected. Candidate Doug Richards was elected after spending $5,200 in the 1990 election.

Of the $1,505 Gateley raised in contributions, $1,174 was from individuals who contributed $100 or less. Gateley made a personal loan of $400 to the Gateley for City Council Committee to cover other campaign costs.

The candidate reported a payment of $466 to Concord Publishing for campaign literature in February and $383 to the Southeast Missourian for campaign ads in March and April.

Gateley also reported payment of $300 to Don Gibson and $340 to Richard Sales and Distributing Co. for yard signs.

Kasten reported he raised a total of $2,675, $2,205 coming from individual contributions of $100 or less. Other contributions came from Gary Rust, $150, and Louis Kouo, $200.

Kasten reported campaign expenses of $148 for office and other supplies; $371 to Sign Master in Cape Girardeau for yard signs; and $418 to KZIM radio, $150 to KGIR radio, and $460 to the Southeast Missourian for advertising.

The candidate also reported contributions he made of $500 to U.S. Sen. Christopher "Kit" Bond and $200 to Missouri Secretary of State Roy Blunt, who's running for governor.

Spradling reported total receipts of $1,350, including $350 in individual contributions of $100 or less. Other contributions included $500 each from Emil Bartles and Margaret Spradling.

Spradling reported campaign expenses of $130 for supplies and miscellaneous advertising; $327 to Horizon Screen Printing in March for campaign signs; and $682 to the Southeast Missourian in March and April for advertising.

Schneider did file a disclosure report seven days prior to the April 7 election. She reported a single $100 contribution from Ann Hamilton and expenses of about $650.

Her March expenditures included $240 to Horizon Screen Printing for campaign signs; $225 to the Southeast Missourian for advertising; $63 to Concord Printing for campaign materials; and $120 for postage.