A political action committee supporting a proposed bond issue on today's Santa Fe city election ballot has raised more money than several candidates in the election.

The group of city residents Monday reported donations and spending of more than $20,000 to promote passage of the bonds, which would fund park and open-space projects.

Candidates for City Council seats also filed updated campaign-finance reports with the city clerk.

A group called Yes! Santa Fe Parks and Trails sent mailings to about 10,000 voters to raise awareness about the bond issue, treasurer Shelly Robinson said.

For Robinson, support for the bonds is personal. As a member of the city's Bicycle and Trails Advisory Committee for about four years, she has been involved in a quest to find money for a citywide trail network.

"I am a mom, and we have raised our children as bikers," she said Monday. "My dream is to be like ... these other great communities where there is lot of freedom for kids to ride to school or ride to practice and not have to be driven everywhere. This is our golden opportunity."

Robinson said she approached friends and neighbors and had help from members of the Parks Advisory Committee as well. A donation of $5,000 came from The Conservation Campaign, a political committee affiliated with the Trust for Public Land.

The proposed $30 million bond includes $9.1 million for citywide trails, including completion of the Rail Trail and Santa Fe River Trail, $9.2 million for regional parks, between $2.1 million and $2.6 million for projects in each of four council districts, and $9.2 million for outdoor recreation projects in the city-owned Northwest Quadrant.

Passage of the bond issue would add about $94 in property taxes to a home valued at $300,000.

Seven City Council candidates are nearing the end of collecting and spending campaign funds. However, final finance reports are due March 18.

District 1 incumbent Patti Bushee has the most reported donations of any candidate. More than $12,000 of Bushee's $26,963 was carried over from her last council campaign.

Such rolling over of balances won't be allowed after this election because of an amendment to the election code approved last year by the City Council. Bushee and any other candidates with leftover cash will have to spend it or donate it within six months.

"She has to give it away, and it will be a series of charities, but I am not sure which ones," said Bushee volunteer campaign manager Walt Borton. "We won't spend much more than what we have spent already."

Bushee had $8,483 in cash on hand as of Monday's report. Her challenger, G. Anthony Garcia, has raised a fraction of that, reporting a total of $2,556 in campaign contributions, including a $1,000 loan from himself.

In District 2, where two candidates are vying to replace outgoing Councilor Karen Heldmeyer, professional facilitator Rosemary Romero has doubled the donation total of her opponent, with reported collections of $19,790 compared to $8,553 for real-estate agent Robbie Dobyns.

In District 3, incumbent Miguel Chavez has outspent Martin Lujan, a school board member. Lujan's contributions from businesses and individuals totaled $17,755, compared to $19,679 reported by Chavez. The incumbent councilor also brought roll-over donations of nearly $5,000 from a previous campaign.

District 4 incumbent Councilor Matthew Ortiz, who is not facing an opponent, reported $5,000 from the political action committee of the international American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, called the "People" committee. Bushee, Chavez and Romero also received identical donations from that committee.

Other details from campaign-finance reports filed Monday:

DISTRICT 1

PATTI BUSHEE: Donations reported to date total $26,963, including new contributions during the last week of $500 from Earl Potter, managing member of the Five and Dime General Store, and from John and Rose Utton, an attorney and public accountant who have built several buildings on the city-owned Santa Fe Railyard; $100 each from consultant Susan Perley, attorney Judith Polich, contractor Bob Lockwood, attorney John Catron and artist Laura Archer, and from Jane Terry Financial Associates and Resources for Change, a business owned by Linda Siegle.

G. ANTHONY GARCIA: Contributions of $2,556 include a $1,000 loan to himself. No new contributions are listed on the latest report.

DISTRICT 2

ROBBIE DOBYNS: Total donations of $8,553 include $2,413 from the New Mexico Association of Realtors political action committee. New donations reported Monday include $100 contributions from Abe and Marian Silver and from Molly Harris-Whitted.

ROSEMARY ROMERO: Donations of $19,790 include new contributions reported Monday of $500 from John and Rose Utton and $200 each from Maurice Bonal, a liquor-industry lobbyist and chairman of the city's 400th anniversary committee, from Edward Crocker and Ann Lockhart, and from Jose Gonzales and Iron Stone Inc.

DISTRICT 3

MIGUEL CHAVEZ: His campaign's total collections of $19,679 include $4,994 from a previous campaign. New donations reported Monday include $500 from John and Rose Utton, $100 each from KSWV radio station owners Celina and George Gonzales, Joe and Shirley Coco-Barela, and $125 from Futuri LLC.

MARTIN LUJAN: His reported total of $17.755 includes new donations of $500 each from investor Garret Thornburg and Rancho Viejo de Santa Fe development company; $300 from Capitol City Auto Sales; $250 each from City Councilor Carmichael Dominguez and Janet Richards; and $200 donations from attorney Joe Shaw Jr. and Santa Fe Bar and Grill.

POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEES

Among contributions reported by Yes! Santa Fe Parks and Trails:

• $5,000 from The Conservation Campaign, a political action committee affiliated with the Trust for Public Land
• $3,000 each from Peter and Helen Chapin, Andrew and Sydney Davis and Steven Melander-Dayton
• $600 from artist Shelly Robinson, the treasurer of the PAC, and chemist Tom Busher
• $500 each from Jean Robinson and Frank Brooks Robinson, grantmaker Nan Schwanfelder, teacher Mary Walton, philanthropist Florence Dapples, real-estate agent Andy Ault, sales consultant Kitty Ault and Thornburg Investment Management
• $300 from education consultant Elizabeth Booth
• $200 from ceramic artist Nancy Wirth
• $100 each from F.B. Robinson and Jeana Robinson; public relations consultant Elizabeth Martin, William White and Anne Coller, Epison Buchanan and Sally Corning, Stone Forest owners Michael and Julie Zimber, retiree Philip S. Cook, singer Annette Cantor, Ernest and Cynthia Cook, listed with occupations in land conservation and publishing.
  

Other political action committees that filed financial statements include:

Judicial Choice Committee, opposed to a charter amendment that would require future municipal judges to be lawyers. The group raised $2,900 to place a newspaper ad. Pojoaque Pueblo donated $2,000, with the remaining money coming from Zia Factory Outlet, PCI Contractors, Southwestern Landscaping Materials by Montaño and all four Santa Fe County magistrate judges.

Voting Matters, dedicated to advocacy of charter amendments. The group raised $3,955 and used the money for mailers and radio and print ads.

Rio Grande Chapter PAC, an organization of the Sierra Club. The group spent $441 on a newspaper ad endorsing candidates.

Contact Julie Ann Grimm at 986-3017 or jgrimm@sfnewmexican.com.