Politics & Government
City Council Members' Economic Interests Include AT&T, Pfizer
Patch takes a look at financial disclosure forms filed with the Fair Political Practices Commission.
Last year, made between $10,000 and $100,000 for consulting work on the Orange County Great Park Project, and another council member, Laura Freese, received a $50 popcorn basket and $50 worth of cookies Christmas Day.
It’s time to get a glimpse into the gifts, income, property, investments and businesses of the San Juan Capistrano City Council members, as reported in their statements of economic interests for 2010.
The statements, which list wealth and personal investments of California's elected officials, are filed yearly to show where potential conflicts of interest may exist.
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Roman Porter, executive director of the California Fair Political Practices Commission—the governmental body that collects the statements of economic interests—said that the financial disclosure forms have a two-fold purpose.
“They provide the public with information to ensure that the official is making government decisions for the benefit for the public and not for their personal economic benefit,” Porter said.
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And, Porter said, the disclosures serve as reminders to officials of what their personal stakes are before they make decisions, so they can avoid conflicts of interests.
California law prohibits officials from accepting a gift or gifts totaling more than $420 in a calendar year, and officials must report all gifts of more than $50, according to Porter.
Porter said the law does not require exact figures on certain parts of the disclosure forms, for example, listing stock value as between $2,000 and $10,000 or over $1,000,000.
Here’s what the San Juan Capistrano council members reported for 2010:
In 2011, Allevato reported receiving between $10,000 to $100,000 for consulting work on the Great Park project in Irvine, from Forde & Mollrich, a Newport Beach consulting firm.
Allevato reported no gifts.
On Christmas Day 2010, Freese received a gift of a popcorn basket from in San Juan Capistrano with a value of $50, and a donation of cookies from the Costa Mesa law firm of Woodruff, Spadline and Smart worth $50.
Freese also reported owning between $2,000 to $10,000 in stock from Bare Escentuals, a makeup company, acquired in August 2006, which she disposed of March 3, 2010.
Freese listed herself as co-owner of the Savings Express of South Orange County, a marketing business, which has a fair market value of between $100,001 to $1 million. She said she received more than $100,000 in gross income from the business.
She is also co-owner of Capistrano Sunrooms, a building general contractor, with a fair-market value between $100,001 and $1 million. The business provided her with a gross income of more than $100,000.
In January 2006, Freese acquired between $2,000 and $10,000 in stock from UPS, and $2,000 and $10,000 in Target stock. She disposed of both in 2009.
reported that he owned between $10,001 to $100,000 in ExxonMobil stock and between $10,000 to $100,000 in AT&T
stock.
He also owned between $10,001 and $100,000 in water bonds from the Calleguas and Las Virgenes municipal water districts.
Kramer reported no gifts.
Reeve listed his business, the Law Office of Derek Reeve, as having a fair- market value of between $2,000 to $10,000 and lists a gross income between $1,001 to $10,000.
Reeve reported no gifts.
owned between $10,001 and $100,000 worth of stock in Pfizer, the pharmaceuticals company, and between $10,001 to $100,000 worth of stock in Corinthian Colleges, trade schools.
He also listed his gross income from his wife’s business, Goin Native, as between $0 to $499. The business reportedly has a fair market value of $2,000 to $10,000.
Taylor reported owning property at 31660 Lobo St. and receiving $10,000 to $100,000 in rent.
Taylor reported receiving no gifts.
