Of the few contested races in south county in the April 6 municipal election, the Sunset Hills mayoral race has brought out the biggest campaign fundraising and spending.

Candidate committees last week submitted campaign activity reports for the period of Feb. 26 to March 25 as those groups generating more than $1,000 were required by the state to file with the county election board by April 1.

The Call went to press before Tuesday’s election. Complete election results will be featured in next week’s issue and are available at

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In Sunset Hills, incumbent Mayor Mike Svoboda’s campaign re-ported raising $2,768.56 and spending $1,730.55 during the reporting period. His campaign reported having $2,631.44 on-hand and $2,406.85 in outstanding debt.

Svoboda overall has raised $3,442.69 and spent $2,325.97 in his re-election bid.

In its first fundraising report of the election, Ward 4 Alderman Frank Gregory’s campaign for the mayoral post stated it took in $1,450 and spent $212.11 during the reporting period. He has $1,237.89 on-hand, his campaign committee stated.

Ward 1 Alderman William “Bill” Nolan Jr.’s campaign for mayor reported contributions of $900 and expenditures of $1,525.51 since Feb. 26. He reported having $3,736.74 on-hand.

Nolan overall has raised $5,700 and spent $1,662.51 toward his run for mayor.

Included in that $5,700 in total contributions is $2,000 of Nolan’s own money, according to a previous campaign report.

Mayoral candidate Mary B. Wymer’s campaign recently filed a statement of limited activity stating it had neither raised or spent more than $500 during the reporting period, county election officials told the Call Friday.

In Crestwood’s only contested race, Ward 4 Alderman John Foote and challenger Steve Nieder did not file campaign finance reports in their bids for the aldermanic seat.

Meanwhile, the campaign for Proposition A, a county mass transit sales tax-increase, was approaching $1 million in total contributions at press time. Proposition A is a proposed half-cent county sales-tax increase designed to provide an additional $75 million to $80 million in new annual revenue for the Metro transit agency.

Advance St. Louis, the committee advocating Prop A’s passage, reported raising $350,650 and spending $404,193.96 since Feb. 26. The group, led by Chesterfield Mayor John Nations, stated it had $154,142.22 on-hand and $47,067.90 in outstanding debt at the end of the reporting period.

As of March 25, the committee had raised $710,751 this election cycle. However, it reported several additional contributions through April 4, including $75,000 from BJC HealthCare; $26,200 from Don Musick III, president of Don C. Musick Construction Co.; $25,000 from Centene Management Co.; and $20,000 each from Mercy AP Shared Services and IMPACT, a coalition of ironworker unions.

Also: $15,000 each from Siemens Industry USA Building Technologies and DDI Media; $10,000 each from the St. Louis Rams and California-based bus manufacturer Gillig; $9,275 from Citizens for Modern Transit; $5,000 each from Amalgamated Transit Union, Northside Regeneration LLC, Graybar Electric Co. and UniGroup Inc., whose former president is Metro’s current president and CEO, Bob Baer; and several contributions of $1,000 or less.

Of the $350,650 Advance St. Louis raised from Feb. 26 to March 25, top contributors were Washington University in St. Louis, $50,000; Express Scripts, Wachovia Securities and Monsanto Co., $25,000 each; Emerson Electric, $20,000; and AmerenUE and writer Ann C. Scott, $15,000 each.

Also: $10,000 each from HOK Inc., St. Luke’s Hospital, Laclede Gas, SSM Health Care, St. Louis Blues Hockey Club, St. Louis Regional Chamber and Growth Association, Citizens for Modern Transit (in-kind), Stifel Nicolaus, Sam Fox of Harbour Group and Schnuck Markets.

Citizens for Better Transit, which opposes Prop A, has not filed with the Missouri Ethics Commission. However, a widget on the group’s Web site stated at press time that it had raised $750 from 25 contributors toward a goal of $10,000.