Updated financial disclosure forms submitted to the City of Eureka this week reveal that backers of the “Eureka Housing for All and Downtown Vitality Initiative” raised $290,000 and spent $314,415.27 through the end of last year.
Compare that to the $2,900 raised and $1,932.08 spent by the Committee Opposed to the Housing for All and Downtown Vitality Initiative and you get a spending ratio of roughly 163-1.
We say “backers,” plural, in reference to the financiers behind the “Housing for All” campaign, and that’s technically true – but only because former Renner Petroleum owner Michael Lawrence Renner, who now lives outside Las Vegas, chipped in $500. The rest of the contributions — more than a quarter of $1 million — have come from Security National Properties Holding Company, the real estate acquisition and servicing firm founded by Robin P. Arkley, II.
As of this latest disclosure form, the campaign has roughly $27,000 in debt.
On the other side, the committee fighting against the Housing for All initiative has built its comparatively modest war chest largely via $100 donations from Eureka residents. The largest donor thus far is Eureka City Councilmember G. Mario Fernandez, who chipped in $800.
As a refresher, the Eureka Housing for All and Downtown Vitality Initiative would, if passed by voters, amend the city’s General Plan to rezone the former Jacobs Middle School property, which was recently purchased by a mysterious buyer who has so far refused to identify themself or their plans.
It would also add an amendment that would functionally block a number of planned housing development projects downtown by requiring that they be built if and only if the existing number of parking spaces are preserved and additional parking is built for residents.
The measure will appear on Eureka ballots in the November Presidential Election.
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PREVIOUSLY:
- The Eureka City Council Wants Developers to Build Affordable Housing on Three City-Owned Parking Lots
- Eureka Planning Commission Chair Jeff Ragan Abruptly Resigns, Citing ‘Grave Concerns’ Over City’s Approval of Housing Projects on Three City-Owned Parking Lots
- The City of Eureka is Gearing Up to Turn Three More Parking Lots into Affordable Housing Developments, Including the Two Lots at City Hall
- Arkley Threatens Lawsuits, Referendum, Recall Drive Over City of Eureka’s Plans to Convert Parking Lots to Housing
- Eureka City Council Postpones Vote on Proposed Parking Lot Land Swap
- ‘Furious’ Rob Arkley Says He’s Moving Security National HQ Out of Eureka After Clashing With City Staff About Development Priorities
- New Group — ‘Citizens for a Better Eureka’ — Says It Will Sue Eureka Over Downtown Housing Development
- Here is the Housing Development/Parking Lot Lawsuit Served on the City of Eureka Today
- Arkley-Affiliated Group ‘Citizens for a Better Eureka’ Files Second Lawsuit Against the City Over Development Plans
- Local Group Announces Intent to Stop the City of Eureka’s Conversion of Downtown Parking Lots Into Housing With New Ballot Measure
- Wiyot Tribe Makes Its Case, Convinces Eureka Council to Reject Staff Pick and Award Affordable Housing Development Projects to Tribal Land Trust Agency
- Group Circulating Eureka Housing Petition Says the Wiyot Tribe’s Projects Are OK, Clarifies That Parking Lot Conversions Will Be Allowed So Long as Developers Build Even More Parking Than Before
- Eureka Gets $30 Million Grant for Housing Projects That the ‘Housing For All’ Initiative Hopes to Block
- New Coalition — ‘I Like Eureka Housing!’ — Formed to Oppose Arkley-Backed Pro-Parking Lot Initiative
- (UPDATE) Arkley-Affiliated ‘Citizens for a Better Eureka’ Files Two More Lawsuits Against the City, Aiming to Block Linc Housing Developments
- Security National Has Spent at Least $236,000 on the Pro-Parking ‘Housing for All’ Initiative So Far
- State Attorney General’s Office Joins the Fight Against the Pro-Parking Group ‘Citizens for a Better Eureka’