Well, this certainly explains the Balico mailer, which must’ve been costly (and it also raises questions on the mysterious disappearance of Ed Balico’s former company on Railroad Avenue)…

Hercules candidates report wide range of fundraising
By Tom Lochner

Incumbent Ed Balico led three other Hercules City Council candidates in fundraising through last month, collecting more than $10,000, a campaign finance statement on file at City Hall shows.

At the other extreme was newcomer John Delgado, who had raised $100.

Balico’s fellow incumbent, Mayor Joanne Ward, raised about $4,750 in the period, while Don Kuehne raised about $2,500.

The four are competing for three council seats Nov. 4.

Delgado, a San Francisco prosecutor, and Ward, a retired senior systems analyst for the city of Oakland, reported no business interests in Hercules on their state-mandated Form 700 Statement of Economic Interests. Kuehne, a senior research engineer for a Chevron affiliate, reported a rental property that grossed him between $10,000 and $100,000 last year. (The state forms ask for financial data in ranges.)

Balico, a real estate broker, reported sole proprietorship of a home-based business, .Com Real Estate, with gross income between $10,000 and $100,000 last year.

On Sept. 30, Balico filed an amendment to a Form 700. Due to “an oversight,” he said he had reported on his 2006 form that he owned a building at 2210 Railroad Ave., valued between $100,000 and $1 million. Balico said he never owned the building and that Hercules Waterfront Properties Inc., a company he worked for until he resigned in mid-September 2007, leased the ground floor. Real estate records show the building belongs to Noel and Leticia Fernandez of San Diego. Balico’s amended statement actually is for 2007, not 2006.

The building currently houses a photography studio. Balico said he does not know what happened to Hercules Waterfront Properties or the identity of its principals, whom he described as “five or six local people.”

The state Department of Real Estate as of this week still listed Balico’s home as the company’s mailing address and Balico as the company’s licensed officer, but with a notation, “canceled as of 03/25/08.”

“They (Hercules Waterfront Properties) are in some kind of dissolution; some windup papers need to be signed,” Balico said this week. “Apparently the Department of Real Estate takes that long.”

He said he would go to Sacramento this week or early next week to update the paperwork and also to try to find out who were the company’s principals.

The four candidates’ campaign finance statements show cumulative totals for the year, but all reported raising their funds since July 1.

The Committee to Re-Elect Ed Balico took in $10,433 in cash and $300 in in-kind donations. Contributors include unions, businesses, officeholders and other politically active people.

Balico received $2,000 from the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 302; $500 from Plumbers Local 159; and $300 from Teamsters Local 315. He got $1,000 from La Strada Restaurant of San Pablo; $300 from SCS Development Co., which shares quarters with Santa Clara Valley Housing Group Inc.; $250 from Praxair of San Ramon; $250 from PG&E; $500 from fellow Hercules Councilman Kris Valstad and $150 from fellow Councilman Joe Eddy McDonald.

He spent $5,859, mostly on campaign literature and paraphernalia, postage, fees, supplies, cleaning and a Web site.

Ward’s committee got $2,000 from IBEW local 302 and $1,000 from OE Local 3. She spent $2,253 on literature and postage.

Kuehne’s committee raised $2,529, including $540 from himself; $500 from Valstad; $200 from Hercules Councilwoman Charleen Raines; and $500 from the Plumbing Industry Consumer Protection Fund. Kuehne spent $1,606 for filing and yard signs.

Delgado spent $17.33.