Three Oklahoma City MAPS 3 campaigns file fundraising reports
BY JOHN ESTUS
Published: December 1, 2009

MAPS 3 supporters have given more than $283,000 to the Yes for MAPS campaign supporting the Oklahoma City initiative, according to fundraising reports filed with the city.

Maps 3 at a Glance

MAPS 3 campaign fundraising and spending
Yes For MAPS
Contributions: $283,381
Expenditures: $223,117

Top donors

Devon Energy Corp.: $100,000

Forward Oklahoma City III: $50,000

Oklahoma Gas and Electric Co.: $50,000

Oklahoma City Metropolitan Association of Realtors, Inc.: $10,000

Improve OKC’s Horse Show Facilities: $8,139

Jacobs Engineering: $7,000

Arvest Bank: $5,000

BOK Financial Corp. Political Action Committee: $5,000

The Geary Companies Inc.: $5,000

Paramedics Plus LLC: $5,000


Not This MAPS
Contributions: $120,250
Expenditures: $71,892

Top donors

International Association of Firefighters Local 157: $60,000

Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 123: $60,000


Modern Transit Project
Contributions: $12,799
Expenditures: $12,723

Top donors

Apache Corp.: $3,500

Walter Jacques: $1,650

Jeff Bezdek: $1,570

Source: Oklahoma City Clerk’s Office; Campaign Contributions and Expenditures Reports

The campaign opposing MAPS 3, Not This MAPS, isn’t as well-funded, raising $120,250 almost entirely through donations from public safety unions, the reports show.

Yes for MAPS has spent more than $223,000 as of Nov. 23, mostly on advertising.

Not This MAPS has spent more than $71,000, mostly on campaign materials.

The Modern Transit Project, a committee supporting MAPS 3’s transit initiatives, has spent nearly all of the $12,799 it has raised.

State ethics laws require any group advocating for or against a city ballot initiative to register with the city clerk’s office as a campaign committee once its expenditures exceed $500. MAPS 3 campaign committee fundraising and expenditure reports from Sept. 29 until Nov. 23 were due by 5 p.m. Monday.

The Yes for MAPS campaign’s top donor so far is Devon Energy Corp. which has given $100,000. Oklahoma Gas and Electric Co. has given $50,000.

The Greater Oklahoma City Chamber’s Forward Oklahoma City III economic development program also gave $50,000 to the Yes for MAPS campaign. "Fundraising is going quite well. People are really interested and passionate about passing this,” said Roy Williams, chamber president. "We’re continuing to raise money.”

The Not This MAPS campaign’s only major donors are the city’s police and firefighter unions, which each gave $60,000. Not This MAPS has raised just $250 on top of the union donations.

"We’re pleased where we stand financially. If we get any more campaign contributions, we’d certainly put it to good use,” said Phil Sipe, chairman of the Not This MAPS campaign and president of the city firefighter union. "We will take volunteers any time over the money.”

The city’s police and firefighter unions organized Not This MAPS.

Other opposition hasn’t filed
A coalition of taxpayer groups opposing MAPS 3 has not filed as a campaign committee.
The coalition, known as KillTheMapsTax.com, includes various local tea party groups and other taxpayer advocacy groups.

It is campaigning alongside Not This Maps supporters.

Its Web site says it is seeking to raise $3,500 for a mailing.

A spokesman for the coalition, former Republican state Rep. Porter Davis, said last week that the groups don’t plan to register as a campaign committee because any donations they receive will be funneled through a national group, Campaign For Liberty, which would also handle the mailing.

Campaign For Liberty, an advocacy group for constitutional issues founded by U.S. Rep. Ron Paul, R-Texas, is subject to the same ethics requirements as other groups and must register with the city as a campaign committee if it spends more than $500 on its MAPS 3 campaign, said Marilyn Hughes, executive director of the state Ethics Commission.

Campaign For Liberty had not filed as a campaign committee with the city as of 5 p.m. Monday.

A Campaign For Liberty official did not return calls Monday seeking comment about its fundraising plans.

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