Skibitsky Reports Raising and Spending $35,000

Republican Mayor Andy Skibitsky's campaign finance filing shows the incumbent easily outspending his Democratic challenger.

The reports, filed Oct. 23, 18 days late, with the state Election Law Enforcement Commission, show Skibitsky raised $35,363 for the general election. The report, signed Oct. 18 by Skibitsky and his campaign treasurer, William Kelly, is for the reporting period due Oct. 5. The report covers expenditures following Oct. 5 as well, normally included in the report due this past Friday. State records did not show a report filed for Skibitsky for the second reporting period for the general election. The report shows that the mayor has spent $34,315.61 on his campaign to date.

Skibitsky's spending and fundraising eclipse his Democratic opponent, Bill Brennan. Brennan's first general election report shows the challenger has raised $18,934 for his campaign to date.

Skibitsky reports raising $28,763 in donations in under $300 a piece, meaning the campaign does not have to report the names and occupations of the donors to state officials. The mayor reported receiving $6,600 in donations over $300 a piece.

The mayor's largest donor is Nancy and Jeffrey Zoraian, Mountainside residents who own a car wash on Rahway Avenue in Westfield. On June 5, the couple gave the mayor's campaign $1,000, with a $2,000 donation arriving on Oct. 5, for a total of $3,000

The second highest donor was developer James Ward, who donated $2,600 in June. Assemblyman Jon Bramnick (R-Westfield) made donations to Skibitsky through his Scotch Plains law firm in the amount of $500 and through his Assembly campaign committee in the amount of $1,000. Westfield resident Michael Cash, a bond trader with J.P. Morgan Chase donated $500 to the Skibitsky campaign.

The bulk of Skibitsky's spending was on advertising, totaling $16,622.20. This includes money for the creation and printing of campaign literature,. The advertising spending includes advertising in publications and the creation of his website.

Skibitsky's well known blue and white t-shirts around town have cost his campaign $4,276.75. This figure also includes buttons and the shipping of the t-shirts.

The mayor has been keeping event participants well fed, with his campaign reporting spending $790.67 on donuts. The checks for this were earmarked for specific events where the donuts were served.

In the food and event category, with $5666.35 being spent on catering during the reporting period, mainly for campaign events, including fundraisers. One of the catering bills also includes balloons. The campaign spent $111.70 on a helium tank in June. Skibitsky's campaign also spent $240.60 on flowers to decorate campaign events.

The remainder of Skibitsky's spending centered on routine campaign expenses and reimbursements for money spent by campaign staffers. The campaign reported spending $1,792 on the design and printing of thank you notes, an expenditure that is noted to also include the creation of campaign buttons.