Rivals Near Record Spending in Race in 2nd Supervisorial District

Thousand Oaks Councilman Frank Schillo and attorney Trudi Loh have spent nearly $200,000 on their campaigns for a county supervisor seat in what will be one of the most expensive local races in county history, according to finance statements filed Thursday.

Meanwhile, Simi Valley Councilwoman Judy Mikels and Moorpark Councilman Scott Montgomery are running nearly even in campaign spending, with combined expenditures of about $85,000.

Loh, who is locked in a tight race with Schillo, led all four candidates in spending, with $97,300, and Schillo $92,500. The cutoff date for filing finance statements with the county was Oct. 22.

Loh and Schillo said they will each spend well over $100,000 before the Nov. 8 election to make their cases to voters in the 2nd Supervisorial District, which includes most of the Conejo Valley and Port Hueneme. Each has already dumped about $30,000 of his or her own money into the race.

“I feel I had to spend a certain amount of money because Mr. Schillo has a lot of name recognition, even though it’s not all positive,” Loh said. “It’s a tightly contested race and there are a lot of differences between us.”

Loh, a Thousand Oaks attorney who opposes a proposed landfill at Weldon Canyon near Ojai, received $8,710 in October from businesses and residents of Ojai who have lobbied against the dump. This brings to $11,210 the total donations she has received from the Ojai area.

“I don’t mind taking support from people I agree with,” she said, noting that she opposed the landfill long before she received any contributions.

But Schillo criticized Loh for accepting the donations. He argued that if the county does not build a new west county landfill and instead ships its trash elsewhere, as Loh has proposed, then garbage rates for residents of the 2nd District will double.

“This is a criminal act to take money to defend people from Ojai, and let people down in our community,” Schillo said.

Loh said she is against a proposed dump at Weldon Canyon out of concern that a private landfill operator would try to import trash from places such as Los Angeles, a move that could result in caravans of trash trucks rolling through the east county.

Loh also pointed out that Schillo’s campaign consultant, Mark Thompson, was employed by Taconic Resources, a group of San Diego investors that wants to develop the Weldon Canyon dump.

“If you want to talk about outrageous,” Loh said, “I think that’s outrageous.”

Schillo’s latest finance report shows that he received $2,250 from Thousand Oaks and Westlake auto dealers. He also received $250 from former supervisor candidate Carter Ward, and $500 from developers Henry and Lee Mansdorf of Beverly Hills, who have proposed building a new marina in Ventura County.

Schillo said, however, that he does not support the development of a marina.

In the county’s 4th Supervisorial District, Mikels has spent $44,329 on her campaign, and Montgomery, $40,869. The two are competing for the seat being vacated by Vicky Howard, who represents Simi Valley, Moorpark and the Santa Rosa Valley.

Mikels said the recession and the county’s campaign contribution laws, which restrict the amount individuals and political action committees can donate to political campaigns, have made it especially difficult to raise money.

On Thursday, officials in the county district attorney’s office said that Montgomery had collected $8,350 in contributions above the county’s allowable limit on political donations. The case is being referred to the state Fair Political Practices Commission.

Don Coleman, special assistant district attorney, said that Montgomery also apparently failed to inform state election officials of his intent to form a new campaign committee and to register a new committee number.

Montgomery said he believes he has complied with the law in each instance. He said, however, that he would return campaign contributions if necessary.

In the race for county auditor-controller, appointed incumbent Thomas O. Mahon has spent $46,758 on his campaign, including $13,200 of his own money.