Tax package PAC nears $440,000

• By GREG GARLAND
• Advocate staff writer
• Published: Nov 5, 2009 - Page: 5B

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A political action committee created to promote a capital improvements tax package on the Nov. 14 ballot raised $85,030 in campaign contributions from Oct. 6 through Oct. 25, according to campaign finance disclosure reports released Wednesday.

That brings the total the Committee for the Future of East Baton Rouge has raised so far this year to $439,280 — most of it from contractors, architects, engineers and developers.

The largest contribution for the latest reporting period, $20,000, came from CH2M Hill, of Englewood, Colo., a contractor that is working on sewer system upgrades.

The campaign’s biggest expenditure for the reporting period — $62,945 — was to pay for television advertising.

Rannah Gray, of Marmillion/Gray Media, a media consulting firm hired by the Committee for the Future of East Baton Rouge, said the campaign and fundraising efforts are going well.

“We’re making all our budgets and all our goals for the campaign,” Gray said. “We feel like we’re on track.”

She said the campaign is running television and radio advertising, as well as reaching people through direct mail.

“We also have a lot of volunteers who are doing a phenomenal job,” Gray said. “This campaign is a lot more grass roots than last year.”

The bond issue on the Nov. 14 ballot is similar to one that failed by a narrow margin last year.

Gray said fundraising efforts will continue until the election.

Dwight Hudson of Baton Rouge Tea Party said his group has raised about $11,000 for its campaign to defeat the tax.

He said Baton Rouge Tea Party is using the money it has collected to print fliers and yard signs that it is distributing in neighborhoods.

“We’re going to stick to our grass roots campaign,” he said.