Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, July 9, 1995 TAG: 9507100090
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: D-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: JOEL TURNER STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Long
``I'll probably run off some fliers on a mimeograph machine and distribute them,'' he said. ``That's about all I expect to do.''
Hale said he will run mainly on his 12-year record as a board member representing Montvale and nearby areas. He went off the board July 1 when his term expired.
His opponent in the November election is his successor on the board, Shirley McCabe. She said she has not developed a campaign budget, but she expects to spend less than $1,000.
Barbara Chrisley said she probably will spend no more than $200 or $300 on her campaign for the Ingles District seat on the Pulaski County School Board.
``I've just started looking at the advertising rates,'' Chrisley said. ``I can't really say how much I will spend, but I don't think it will be more than a few hundred dollars.''
Her opponent, incumbent Ronald Chaffin, doesn't expect to spend more than $500.
Chaffin said some people already have offered contributions to his campaign, but he has turned them down. ``Once you start accepting contributions, you have to start filling out forms,'' Chaffin said. ``I haven't decided if I am going to accept contributions.''
As candidates for school boards in the nine-county region from Bedford County to Giles County begin planning their campaigns, they have little history to guide them on how much they should spend.
School board elections are being held in eight of those counties for the first time in November.
When Roanoke County held an election for three board seats last year, spending by candidates ranged from $0 to $2,895. It is difficult, however, to reach conclusions from one election.
A survey of nearly two dozen candidates in Western Virginia indicate that campaign budgets are expected to be small in most school board races, probably a few hundred dollars.
By comparison, some board of supervisors and city council candidates spend several thousand dollars on their campaigns. In Roanoke, some council candidates have spent more than $15,000.
``If anyone is going to spend a lot of money for the position, they want it worse than I do,'' said John Reed, a candidate for the Catawba District seat on the Roanoke County School Board.
``I would prefer that all candidates spend a small amount so it would not discourage others from running,'' said Carol White, a candidate for the Cave Spring District seat in Roanoke County. ``I don't think people should be discouraged from running because they don't have a lot of campaign funds.''
In Franklin County, G.B. Washburn Jr., a candidate in the Snow Creek District, doesn't expect to spend more than $300. He had hoped to spend nothing, but he has decided to spend a little because he has opposition.
``I'm not going to solicit contributions,'' Washburn said, ``but if someone wants to help, I guess I'll accept it.''
Terry Lovell, who also is running in Snow Creek, said he plans a ``pretty low-key campaign,'' but he doesn't want to say how much he expects to spend.
``I want to contact as many people personally as possible and maybe have a few posters,'' Lovell said. ``I can't afford an expensive campaign.''
David Blount, governmental relations officer for the Virginia School Boards Association, expects campaign spending to vary widely in the November elections.
In some urban areas with many candidates, Blount said, it might take several thousand dollars for the candidates to get their messages out. In Fairfax County, there are 37 candidates alone for the School Board.
``In some of the small counties, I would think the spending is going to be pretty low,'' Blount said.
Because political parties are barred from nominating school board candidates, there are no existing political organizations to help hopefuls raise campaign funds. By state law, all school board candidates must run as independents.
Money might have made a difference in Roanoke County's School Board election last year.
Richard Cullinan, who ran last in a four-way race for the Windsor Hills seat, spent nothing on his campaign. Cullinan did not accept any contributions and had no campaign advertising or brochures.
Michael Stovall, the winner in the three-way contest in the Vinton District, was the big spender at $2,895.
Stovall solicited contributions and had a music show and dance to generate money for his campaign. Admission was free, but he asked for donations.
``Money is the name of the game,'' Stovall said. ``I decided early in the campaign that I needed some funds to get my message out.
``It's hard to ask for money, but I decided it had to be done. I said I was going to run a campaign that was based on the contributions I received.''
Stovall received five contributions over $100, including a $500 donation from the Roanoke County Education Association, the teachers' organization. He also got 77 contributions of $100 or less.
``I felt I got my word out,'' Stovall said. ``What you need to spend depends on how much you want to do.'' He spent most of his money on brochures, posters, cards and newspaper advertising.
The teachers' organization also contributed $500 to Thomas Leggette, the winner in Windsor Hills. But Leggette spent only $969 on his campaign. Most of the money was used for posters and newspaper advertising.
Leggette did not accept any contributions from individuals or businesses - only the teachers' organization.
``I had people who offered me donations,'' he said, ``but I didn't feel the need to have a big sum of money.''
Leggette said he did not have a big campaign budget because he did not want to discourage others from running.
``I would lean to modest campaign budgets, because I like to think that any person could run for the board without needing a lot of money,'' he said.
Leggette spent less than one of his opponents, Lisa Merrill, who reported expenditures of $1,228. She received $465 in contributions and spent $763 of her own money.
Nearly all candidates in this fall's county board election are running for elected office for the first time - and many are leery of accepting campaign donations for fear that it could compromise their independence.
``As long as there are no strings attached, I will accept donations,'' said Marion Roark, a candidate for the Catawba District in Roanoke County.
``But I don't want to owe favors to anyone. We are running as independents, and we need to remain independent.''
by CNB