03112013 - News Article - Snyder: Separating campaign, mayor's duties 'no-win' situation

Snyder: Separating campaign, mayor's duties 'no-win' situation
NWI Times
Mar 11, 2013
http://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/porter/portage/snyder-separating-campaign-mayor-s-duties-no-winsituation/article_4be36bdf-4f01-53c3-9cdf-719aca83705b.html
PORTAGE | Mayor James Snyder may have raised more than $117,000 in campaign funds last year, but he spent more than $105,000.

Of those expenses, the Portage mayor paid his own company, SRC Properties, $36,000.

The Citizens for Snyder committee made payments to SRC of $24,000 on May 21, 2012, and $12,000 on Dec. 19, 2012.

Snyder said Monday his election committee and his mortgage company have had a lease agreement for the last two years. The $24,000 payment was for the 2011 lease and the $12,000 payment was for 2012.

"We believe it is important for our campaign efforts to be completely separate from day-to-day operations of the mayor's office and the city of Portage," said Snyder, adding the agreement does not only include the use of office space at his building at 5955 Central Ave., but also includes outdoor signs, staff, telephones, equipment and other necessities.

Snyder said in the past he believes previous administrations, who did not maintained year-round campaign offices, conducted campaign business from the mayor's office. He said he and his committee decided they would not do the same.

"It is a no-win situation," he said, saying his campaign committee holds quarterly fundraisers, a golf outing and other functions that require planning and meetings.

"State law requires these expenditures to be reported on a finance report and we are complying the the state campaign finance law," said Snyder, who filed his annual report last week. The deadline, however, to file the report was Jan. 16.

Snyder said he anticipates raising twice the amount of money this year as he looks toward running for re-election in 2015.

"I enjoy being the mayor of Portage and believe that is is important to be ready for the next campaign as our vision will take more than one term to accomplish," he said.

His largest expenditure totaled about $36,000 for his annual golf outing. Snyder said he also made several contributions to other political campaigns during the year.