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Candidates for Lancaster Mayor, City Council file campaign finance reports

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LANCASTER – The first campaign finance disclosure statements in the Lancaster mayoral and city council races are in.

In the city council race, incumbent Ken Mann has raised and spent the most cash so far. In the race for mayor, incumbent R. Rex Parris is the only candidate who exceeded the threshold – $1,000 spent or contributed – that would require a candidate to file a report.

Ken Mann

The first campaign finance reports cover contributions received and payments made from Jan. 1 through Feb. 25.

During that time period, the committee to “Reelect Ken Mann for Council 2012” took in $21,935 in cash contributions from 13 businesses and 5 individuals and $374.70 in non-monetary contributions.

Top business donors to Mann’s campaign were Ironwood Management ($2500); Clutter Motors Inc. ($2500); S.J. Hills, LP ($2,000); Palmdale Summit, LP ($2,000); Pacific Communities Builder ($2,000); and Valley Oak, LP ($2,000).

Sandra Johnson

Top individual donors to Mann’s campaign were Wayne Ulberg and Mark Troth, both at $500. According to his disclosure statement, Mann spent $5,800 so far, mainly on campaign literature, mailings, and other paraphernalia.

Second in campaign contributions received is Sandra Johnson who received $11,575 in cash contributions and $3,263 in non-monetary contributions from Jan. 1 through Feb. 25. The majority of Johnson’s contributions were from individuals (13 out of 20), and many of the contributions were less than $1,000. Lancaster Honda was the top donor at $2,500.

John Kiramis

Johnson has spent about $1,000 so far, a consulting fee to Chris Jones Consulting.

Trailing behind Johnson and Mann in campaign contributions is the “Committee to Elect John Kiramis to City Council 2012,” which lists $4,101.15 in cash contributions. The money came from a series of small loans Kiramis and his wife gave to the campaign. Kiramis has received no outside contributions for his campaign so far.

The remaining two council candidates, Isaac Grajeda and Michael Rives, will spend or receive less than $1,000 for their campaign, so they were not required to file financial disclosure statements. The same was true for mayoral candidates David Abber, David Paul, and David Grajeda.

R. Rex Parris

Only incumbent R. Rex Parris was required to file a campaign disclosure statement in the mayoral race. R. Rex Parris for Mayor 2012 received no cash contributions from Jan. 1 through Feb. 25, but received $12,457.94 in nonmonetary contributions, according to the report. Parris’s campaign still owes him about $435,150 from loans Parris made to the campaign to fund prior races.

Lancaster Leadership 2012, a committee formed specifically to support Mayor Rex Parris and Council Members Sandra Johnson and Ken Mann, raised $23,000 in cash from 45 donors that included businesses and individuals. The committee also received a $20,000 loan from Parris on Jan. 12 and $877 in food and beverages from the University of the Antelope Valley on Feb. 6, according to the report.

Lancaster Leadership 2012 has spent nearly $20,000 from Jan. 1-Feb. 25, which includes nearly $8,000 on signs and nearly $11,000 in consulting fees.

View the full Campaign Disclosure Statements for Jan. 1-Feb. 25 from all candidates/committees required to file reports below:

Reelect Ken Mann for Council 2012

Sandra Johnson

Committee to Elect John Kiramis to City Council 2012

R. Rex Parris for Mayor 2012

Lancaster Leadership 2012

The deadline for filing the second Campaign Disclosure Statement is March 29, according to the City Clerk’s office.

100 comments for "Candidates for Lancaster Mayor, City Council file campaign finance reports"

  1. I hope that as a former convicted thief I can get a job at UAV. I wonder if there are openings for dean of admissions. Ive got a few angles Sandra would appreciate.

  2. I have read it several times and I checked up on it. Ms. Johnson does fib over the fact she lowered crime by 50% over four years when she has only been in office a few months.

  3. Go to the Av”University” and you will end up in the gutter. The teachers have no credentials and most do not even have college degrees. Yeah its a real “university”.

  4. Feel free to ignore anything and I’ll make you and Rex a deal. Stop harassing merchants and stealing newpapers and I’ll stop. I’m sure if it was Rex’s AV Press, you’d feel the same.

    • how is it you have money for your campaign but no money for
      the essentials. my son is in your school and says he has to pay for
      utensils and napkins

      • Because the University of CPR and Sandra’s campaign are profititable and you poor son has already paid up and is no longer making her anymoe money.

      • Because school supplies are not profitable at the Univserity of CPR and poor Sandra Johnson has to earn a living. Rex can’t pay for everything you know.

        • Sandra has spent the whole election ducking debates & avoiding questions. She lied about lowering crime 50% in 4 years when she was only appointed in Sept. & now she wants votes. Oh well I’m certain what with the Baptist ballot stuffing & the city clerk’s fuzzy math regarding vote counts, Sandra may get elected.

          • It seems the unethical. Get appointed then spend time in jail for all the corruptness

        • Vice mayor Sandra is the best and you people need to now she doesnt have to play yor game and stupid questions just because you want use the answeres to make fun of her. shes smarter than all of you!!!!!!!!!

  5. In the Know? No one of Consequence? Surely Surely? or Parker? Glad to see Rex gave you a name. Did it come out of your allowence or did you have to go rip off the Political Observer and shake down some merchants.

  6. I don’t think Rex is sick. I think he is dangerous and fully capable of taking everyone down with him to satisfy his thirst and hunger. Megolamania is a symptom.

  7. How many copies of the Political Observer did your brown shirts steal today Rex? How many business owners were threatned? You need help to deal with your fear.

  8. So who will it be stealing your newspapers tomorrow Mr. Boss Rex Sir. You would have fit in real well back in Germany 70 years ago.

  9. Can’t be Ken. The witnesses of the newspaper thefts said it was a well dressed looking man. Sorry Ken it only seems like something you would do for Rex.

  10. Was it you Kenn Mann, who terroizes the samll businesses who distribute the Political Advisor? Remember the aftermath of 1933 Munich.

  11. New low for Rex. His emissary of depravity steals the Political Oberver & threatens harm to the businesses that distribute it. Munch 1933?

  12. Thoughtless remarks and bullying employees is what Sandra does best. Lying and stealing are just things she tries to do well.

  13. Lying and ripping off her students is what Sandra does best. Doing this while pretending to be a city leader is what makes it worse.

  15. I am sad to say I do not know of a Hespanic who see Sandra as anything other than as a sellout who rips off those she sometimes claims to be part of.

  17. I have lived here for 8 years and I have seen corrupt politics where I grew up in Jersey. I can only say Lancaster is a very sick microcosim of what is worst in America. The mayor here is a sick human being.

    • Welcome to the club of those who think he is sick. And, he’s dillusional. He’s ‘Newt’ Parris.

  18. Parris has a lot riding on this election. Ego the little man cant live without and losing cash cow to steal from. I just filled out my absenttee ballot. I hope Rex’s prize poodles dont eat it.

    • So does Ms. Sandra I Only Want To Be A Latina When There Is Money In It. If you get re-appointed girl it won’t be by the Hespanics. They got your number.

  19. The only crap I see is the dump Rex took on us when he got voted in. Vote him and the other 2 fools out.

  20. Read you mail. The ansentee ballots are out and Rex and his fellow crooks are flooding us with propoganda on how they saved us from ourselves. Vote them out and tell your friends or expect more of the same.

      • Funny. By calling someone DBW you think you’re marginalizing all the critics against Rex? Not that it matters what we vote. Everyone knows rex stuffs the ballot box. What did he say in 2010?
        Oh yeah. “There were 2,000 more votes by absentee ballots then any other time in the city”!!! 2,000 more votes then normal? Magically? Amazing how that works, eh Rex? Is that why you refuse to incorporate our elections in with the county elections? Not so easy to supplement all them votes? Wonder how it feels to know the only way to win is to cheat.

  21. Sandra does not exist. She’s a ventriloquist dummy. Rex controls her every movement. Makes sense since no woman on earth can be that dumb.

  22. Surely its Rony Smith. If you want to hide your indenity, learn not to use the word “we”.

    • So why and who deleted my information off this site. Its true when the truth is out someone sensors. Sandra put your banners up again.

      • Someone with a brain took your pro-Sandra blogs off. She is a crook who hides on the council by night and rips off the community by day at CPR university.

        • They didn’t seem very “pro” Sandra to me… Quite the opposite, actually.

        • Can we use your banner Sandra we could save money by using the other side cutting corners is what we know best

          • She using the banner to hide under so she won’t have to answer questions or explain why she lied in her literature that says she lowered crime in 4 years when she was only appointed 5 months ago.

  23. Sandra is greedy and dishonest and yes like her mentor Rex she will do anything to hold on to ill gotten gains. And she will continue to do so until she is voted out of office which is OK by her because the voting scams going on in this sick town won’t let that happen.

  24. Lambs Johnson and Mann will claim not taking money from Shepherd Rex until after the election at which point the pied piper can legally give them as much as he wants from his political action account to pay off what they spent. Notice Rex’s favorite paper the AVPress never asks, “Do you intend on taking money from Rex?”

      • Maybe she needs to be investigated, what is ACIS? should we look into reporting something? are her practices illigal? locking student that are failling into contracts? from the picture she has on another articule the Sherrifs Department is sending their at risk kids from VIDA to this school? should we questions this practices? what is going on here?

  25. my niece owes money she can never pay sandra because your admission crook told her it didnt matter if she had bad study skills. you just had her sign the papers and let her think she was was smart enough to go to your joke university. dont ever let me here you call yourself a hespanic. the coyotes care more about hespanics than you.

    • THANK YOU Monica for speaking out, we need to let the community know so this doesn’t happen to others, THANK YOU.

    • why in gods name would you try to enroll in a place where you are tested if you knew you had bad study skills? how stupid are you???????????????????????

    • People need to realize that not everyone gets to be an astronaut when they grow up, so maybe not everyone is cut out for college. The problem is their focus on quantity of students instead of quality like it should. Unfortunately, most students who are cut out for college are smart enough to enroll somewhere else. Yours obviously wasn’t that smart. Food for thought!

      • I’m flattered to be quoted, thanks for copy/pasting. Using it to insult a stranger’s child directly is pretty harsh, though.

  26. If she was left anymore alone, SHE WOUDLDN’T EXIST. That’s the problem with the appointed one. Sandra refuses to debate the other candidates, she hides in DC with Parris and uses the flimsiest of all excuses imaginable so she can “duck out” of the last debate. Every piece of paper that comes out from her campaign has been carefully written by someone else giving the impression everything is great and she’s responsible. She’s a lighweight candidate supported by Parris and he is smart enough to know she stands a better chance of winning if she hides out and keeps her mouth shut until election day. Yeah Nicole, we need more just like her. Why don’t you run for office. You’ll fit right in.

  27. LEAVE SANDRA ALONE!! How can you not help but admire an immigrant woman who came from nothing and built herself up to be one of the pillars of her community? Instead of being petty and jealous, you should take notes. Sandra Johnson is an INSPIRATION! I only hope that she knows just how much she inspires women. If you are reading this Sandra, you have inspired many women in Lancaster to dream big! You are more than the petty comments that you might read here. For every negative comment that you read here, there are dozens of others like me who admire you!! Keep your head up and be proud of what you have accomplished in the AV and beyond. I will see you at your swearing in ceremony in April!!!

    • Gee, “Nicole,” if she’s so great, why isn’t she out in the candidate forums that she’s invited to for us all to get to know her wonderfulness better? Why does she hide behind Parris and his money? Why does she fly away with Parris to a little lovenest in DC when she’s supposed to be letting the community know how great she is and why she deserves our votes?

      Go drink your koolaid.

      • Stinger, I notice that Nicolle has replied to your valid questions yet.

        It’s interesting to see all these newcomers coming out of the woodwork to comment, kinda ‘hit and run’, so to speak. Are they hired by Parris to comment here?

      • I haven’t replied until now because I work and have responsibilities. I don’t have loads of time to spend commenting. I stand by what I said originally, Sandra Johnson is an INSPIRATION. Perhaps she doesn’t show up at these so called debates because she does not want negative naysayers dimming her bright light. How dare you insinuate that there is something between her and Parris? She should sue you!! Anyone who has ever met Sandra and Marco can tell you they are wonderful people that work hard for this community. They walk the walk while some of you just sit back and criticize from the comforts of your keyboard. Why don’t you talk to Sandra some time? I guarantee you will be enlightened!

        • You are mistaken Nicole, as more and more students find themselfs with huge loans to repay a worthless piece of paper and no jobs, the word is going out, STAY AWAY FROM AUV, her and her husband are in this for the money that is why she fits right in with the rest of the crooks she is associating herself with, I guess the questions would be; If you have kids or relatives close to you would you send them to your dream trade place (can not called it school) AUV? I hope they send someone to investigate what is going on in that place.

          • what do you honestly expect? Nobody took a gun and pointed it to your kids head and told them to enroll there!

            They made a conscious decision to do so. So dont be mad because your kid chose a subject or trade that is not so hot right now.

            There are other places your kid could have gone such as Charter College, CCI or AVC, ITT Tech or DeVry.

            To put the blame on Sandra because your kid is not succeeding is so faulty its hard not to laugh!

            Maybe your kid needs to get out of the AV and move to a bigger city?

        • Gee, “Nicole,” why don’t I talk to Sandra sometime? Maybe it’s because she is NEVER AVAILABLE to the public to do so!

          Go collect your buck and a half and drink your koolaid, Parrisite.

    • You admire a woman who has sucked the immediate future from more women in this community then any one else I can think of, with her trade school? These women will be saddled with debt for years. Being as no one is hiring her students. Is that what you admire? Why not got beat some woman over the head, take her wallet, and leave her a cookbook. Then you can be just like Sandra. Nichole can’t wait to scam all kinds of young adults in our community so she to can be like Sandra. Rich! Regardless of who she hurts. Why are so many folks in Lancaster aspiring to be scam artists? Because that’s the best our leaders can represent?

  28. I am a little concerned about Sandra Johnson is that my opinion there may be some conflicts of interest with UAV and the city. The city was quite involved with getting UAV off the ground. Also the city redevelopment dept. bought a lot of the properties on Beech from J-2 and J-8 to enlarge the university. Almost each property were bought for in the millions and only to be torn down.

    Also a student enrolls in a class at UAV and gets a government grant that does not have to be paid back. Lets say the class cost $30,000.00. and the government grant is paid to UAV. Then about six months into the course the student drops out. Then UAV is $30,000.00 richer of taxpayers money or what happens to it? I think Sandra Johnson has enough to do let alone be re-elected.

    • It makes me angry that Mayor Parris exploits a Latina to make himself strong. It makes me more angry a Latina is willing to allow herself to be used like this. Look at yourself girl. Selling yourself so that you can profit from your school while expoliting children at the expense of the tax payers is wrong and in the end will reflect badly upon you and your people. I pray for you and I hope you realize what you are doing.

        • I’d vote for them if I could. I live in Palmdale but Parris has made Lancaster a ‘bad neighbor’ for the Antelope Valley. Ask Quartz Hill too.

          I would prefer that Lancaster be a nice neighboring city but with it’s current leadership and past history, it’s gonna take a long time for it to be trusted.

          Merge the 2 cities? No way. NEVER!

  29. There are two candidates running for office that should be elected.

    They are Michael Rives and John Kiramis.

    • Tell me, is that because they have lived here for only 5 and 3 years respectively, or because they have given nothing back to the community?

      • Hey, Diana,

        Here are my contributions to the community:

        former volunteer to AV animal shelter

        member and current president of the Optimist Club of the AV

        former candidate for city council 2010

        frequently the only speaker challenging agenda items before the Lancaster City Council. If I didn’t comment, there would not even be a staff report and, possibly, millions spent without discussion.

        Frequent writer to the Antelope Valley PRESS letters to the editor.

        Walker in MS and AIDS walks in the AV.

        These are my contributions.

        Michael Rives

      • No Diane or is you Ronnie Smith? Its because they are not crooks and are not in it to feed off of the taxpayers.

      • No!! it is because they care about Lancaster and where it is going. A lot of honesty and sincerity here.

      • Hey, “Diana_B”, how much did Parris pay you for that blog attack? $1.50?

        Enjoy the koolaid.

        • well for mike rives yes, we know nothing of john hello he just came out of no where who had strong ties to solar city and you cant think that he might have gotten a phone call to jump in the race…let take a step back and think for a second when had john ever spoken infront of city hall and also i asked him personally how many meeting he has attended in the past year he said 4 and 2 were this year so that man has no clue on what has been going on in the city.

          wake up people!!

          • Gee, “Delores,” maybe you need to get out more. Ask Rex if he’ll let you go to all of those candidate forums that you’ve been missing where Kiramis has been speaking and making himself available for the public to question him with the hard questions.

            Where has Rex, Mann, and Johnson been throughout all of these, huh? Nowhere even in town, that’s where.

            Wake up yourself!

      • How long has Parris lived in Lancaster? Maybe, the shorter the time the better for Lancaster.

        • Parris was born in Palmdale but raised in Lancaster. So I think that means HIS WHOLE LIFE!

          • Gee, “Jen,” you mean when he was dealing all those drugs?

            FYI, Parrisite, he’s actually admitted to this.

    • RIGHT ON!!! If Parris has anything to do with it it will never happen but we can still hope the truth comes out on this election

    • You are absolutely correct, Ed. Kiramis and Rives would bring some transparency and community involvement back into the council.

      parris and his remaining cronies would have to actually PROVE that their schemes would truly benefit the citizens, in PUBLIC, BEFORE they vote on it.

      • isaace grajeda and mike rives you have it wrong! who really has had an opinion on the facts of our city mike and david grajeda!! i rather trust his brother to do the right thing becaue they have no conflicts not to mention they dont care about power. john is trying to sneak his way in because he has people behind the sene pushing him.

        • Okay, “Delores,” who are you trying to say is ‘pushing Kiramis to run from behind the scenes?’

          Go collect your $1.50 from Parris and drink your koolaid.

          • OK. How can people on this site get organized to get Kiramis elected? Parris and his gang have more money but this website could be a useful starting pointing for a grassroots campaign, if that’s allowed.