Reading, MA — Per the eight-day financial reports from candidates, as of March 16, a total of $18,949.31 had been spent on the local campaigns for Board of Selectmen, School Committee, and by the Yes for Reading ballot question advocacy group. This total includes expenditures made by the campaigns in 2017. The amount of expenditures reported exceeds the $16,199.57 reported on the Eight-Day reports in the 2017 local election, likely due to the inclusion of a Proposition 2 ½ override ballot question in this year’s election.
The reports were due to the town clerk’s office by March 26, or eight days prior to the election. These reports require candidates and committees to report on campaign contributions and expenditures from the beginning of the year through March 16, or ten days prior to the report.
The Campaign for Vanessa Alvarado spent the most for an individual candidate, reporting spending of $5,403.34 through March 16 in her winning effort. Incumbent John Arena’s campaign spent $4,112.46 in the same time period. A total of $9,515.80 was spent by the two campaigns as of the disclosure deadline. For both candidates, most of the spending was for lawn signs and other printed materials. In the 2017 Selectmen’s race there were three candidates who spent a total of $12,233.63 through the mid-March report in that election cycle for an average of $4,077.87 per candidate.
In the race for School Committee, Sherri VandenAkker’s campaign spent $1,551.79 by the March 16 reporting date, followed by $612.40 by the Rebecca Liberman campaign, $568.15 for the Alicia Williams campaign and $191.22 for the campaign of Elaine Webb. The total spent on the election for School Committee as of March 16 was $2,923.56. In the 2017 local election there also were four candidates for School Committee who spent $3,965.94.
Yes For Reading reported $6,509.95 in expenditures as of March 16 in the campaign for the approval of the override ballot question. Signs, postcards, and buttons were the primary items for which campaign dollars were spent by the group. This amount is comparable to the $6,424.70 in expenditures reported on the Eight-Day report by Yes For Reading for the failed 2016 override question.
The next report on contributions and expenditures for the campaigns will be due on May 3, or thirty days after the election. These reports should contain how much was spent in total for the campaigns this year. Each campaign must also file an end-of-year report as well.
Support Files From the Town of Reading website
2016 Yes for Reading – CPF M102 – 30 day and Dissolution
2017 Yes for Reading – End of Year
2018 Yes for Reading – 8th Day
