Amrich’s team raised nearly $17,000 before big wins in Island Lake, records show
Charles Amrich’s successful campaign for mayor in Island Lake was well funded by supporters, newly released state records show.
Amrich’s slate collected nearly $17,000 in cash donations during the first quarter of 2013, according to a disclosure report filed Friday with the Illinois State Board of Elections. That’s nearly four times what incumbent Debbie Herrmann’s team of candidates reportedly raised.
Herrmann didn’t report a single donation of more than $150 — the legal threshold that requires information about a donation and the donor to be made public.
“The people just wanted change and they were willing to step up to the plate,” Amrich said.
Herrmann couldn’t be reached for comment.
Municipal candidates who raise or spend at least $3,000 must file quarterly financial disclosure reports with the state board of elections. They must also file individual reports for donations of $1,000 or more.
Donations of less than $150 do not need to be itemized.
The documents are public and viewable online at elections.state.il.us.
The first quarter ended March 31, and reports are due by midnight Monday. Some candidates filed early.
Amrich led the For the People slate. The other members were Clerk-elect Teresa Ponio and trustees-elect Mark Beeson, Keith Johns and Tony Sciarrone.
Herrmann led the United for Progress slate. The other members were incumbent Clerk Connie Mascillino and trustee hopefuls Josh Rohde, Ken Nitz and Ed McGinty.
Amrich’s team swept the election, winning by huge margins. Amrich defeated Herrmann with nearly 79 percent of the vote, unofficial results showed.
The For the People slate reported an estimated $12,082 in itemized donations and about $4,918 in donations that were below the $150 threshold.
Nearly all of the identified supporters are Island Lake residents. Notable donors included:
타 Beeson, who gave $500.
타 Trustee Chuck Cermak, who gave $500.
타 Former Trustee Donna O’Malley, who gave $200.
타 Trustee Laurie Rabattini, who gave $500.
Amrich and his team also reported nearly $21,232 in in-kind donations — gifts of services or products that have monetary value. They included $8,500 in legal services from attorney David McArdle’s firm.
McArdle was one of the lawyers who successfully represented Amrich in his efforts to stay on the ballot.
Local residents Greg and Debra Jenkins also donated nearly $9,844 worth of food and website services to the campaign, reports show.
On the other side of the ledger, the campaign reported nearly $12,245 in expenses.
The biggest reported expense was legal services. The team paid $7,000 to attorney John Fogarty, who also represented Amrich, reports show.
Amrich expressed gratitude for the residents who recognized the cost of his legal fight and “dug deep.”
Herrmann’s team reported $4,262 in non-itemized donations.
The United for Progress slate also received $1,005 in in-kind contributions, records show. The donors in those cases were a Wauconda restaurant called TJ Snickers and an Island Lake bar called Sideouts. Both hosted fundraisers for the slate.
The candidates reported less than $19 in expenses, and they were not itemized.
Any additional transactions must be included on future disclosure reports.