Public Safety Union Political Committees Raise Almost $30,000 In First Half Of The Year

Together, the Alameda police officers and firefighters union political action committees raised $29,600 in the first half of this year, according to campaign disclosure filings.

Both committees spent modest sums – on the order of a couple hundred dollars per candidate – for fundraisers earlier this year in support of Marilyn Ashcraft and Malia Vella, both of whom are running for city council this year; Ashcraft is one of two incumbents.

But that spending is sure to increase after Labor Day, the traditional kick-off for the fall election season.

The firefighters union raised $20,796.32 from members in the first six months of this year, and enters the fall season with $28,931 in its war chest.

The police officers association raised $8,800 from members in the first half of the year.

That committee heads into the fall with $8,427.11 in the bank.

Alameda firefighters spent heavily outside of the city this year, including a $2,000 expenditure to help pass, in June, Measure D in Hayward, which extends the duration of a utility users tax which proponents said was key to maintaining, “firefighters and paramedics, (and fully operational Hayward fire stations).”

This November, Alameda voters will consider a utility users tax measure that expands coverage of the services taxed.

As with the Hayward measure, proponents say that tax is vital to public safety.