Contributions nothing new, but latest amounts are making tongues wag
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Contributions by sitting Taylor council members to the campaigns of either incumbents or their challengers may be nothing new, but former City Hall insiders say the large dollar amounts this political season are raising eyebrows.
A social media post revealed that Councilman Dwayne Ariola contributed what many political veterans consider an unprecedented sum to two candidates — Shelli Cobb and Kelly Cmerek — in the Saturday, May 4 City Council election.
Cobb ran against Terry Burris, Sandra Wolff and District 2 incumbent Mitch Drummond, the latter who is Ariola’s colleague on the dais. Meanwhile, outgoing Mayor and District 3 representative
I think we all honored the ‘friendly incumbent’ rule.”
-former Mayor Jesse Ancira on past campaigns Brandt Rydell contributed to Drummond’s reelection bid.
“Why not support somebody that you think you can work with, and maybe on the same page as you?” Ariola said.
There is no law against incumbents contributing to the political coffers of challengers to their sitting colleagues, but political veterans say there is an unofficial “gentlemen’s agreement” about steering clear of such support.
The increased dollars in contributions from incumbents to challengers or colleagues signals a change in the local political landscape, a City Hall veteran noted.
“In the past, councilmen stayed in their lanes. Incumbents fought their own fight, and you win or lose,” said former Mayor Jesse Ancira.
According to financial documents, Ariola contributed $5,289.38 to Cobb’s campaign and $1,500 to Cmerek’s campaign, a total of $6,789.38, which were left from Ariola’s campaign last year.
“I didn’t donate any of my funds, these are funds that people gave me,” said Ariola, an atlarge councilman who is not up for re-election. “That we decided at the last minute that there is no reason to waste it in the closing weeks.”
While Cmerek drew an opponent, Nathan Walker, in the race for the District 3 seat Rydell is leaving, he will run unopposed after Walker dropped out of the race in March.
Ariola said he originally planned to split his funds evenly between Cobb’s and Cmerek’s bids for office. After Walker dropped out of the race, Ariola put more funds into Cobb’s race pitting her against Drummond.
Ancira said council members are always looking for like-minded people to join them on the council. He said they want to advance their priorities with the support of other elected leaders who share their vision.
“It’s not unusual for people to help recruit,” Ancira said. “The dollar amounts are what’s a little eye raising.”
Having worked at the Capital as the chief of staff for former state House Speaker Joe Straus, R-San Antonio, Ancira said he contributes at the House and Senate level, but not at the level of Ariola’s local dollars.
Ancira said he cannot recall if he wrote a check to a local candidate, but if he did it was no more than $200.
“I think it’s the dollar amount that is significant that has got everybody’s attention,” he said. “There’s nothing illegal about it, but when you write that big of a check, what is your expectation in return?”
Ariola said he has known Cobb and Cmerek most of his life, adding they supported him during his campaign. He said both candidates are “like-mind,” which is why he chose to support them.
“I’m not saying it’s right. I’m not saying it’s wrong. I’m just saying the optics of it raised eyebrows,” Ancira said.
Differing views
Former Mayor Don Hill said supporting a candidate is common, but not when he or she is campaigning against someone still on the council.
“I don’t think it’s politically correct to do that to your co-worker,” Hill said. “I thought the council would have more integrity than that to do something to each other.”
While in office, Hill said he heard about verbal contact or people asking about candidates, but never making financial contributions.
“I’ve heard people say, ‘There’s a group out there that’s trying to get their person in,’” he said. “What happens is you have a council member that’s part of that group.”
Drummond said the campaign-contribution developments went against an unwritten rule among council members.
“Personally, I’m disappointed. I felt like we had a gentleman’s agreement that we would not get involved in other council member races,” Drummond said.
He knows there are no laws against it, but it is not something he would do.
“I thought we were better connected and had more respect for each other,” he said. “It’s nothing that we’ve ever discussed, obviously, but I just think it’s a good practice not to get involved. We have to work as a team, and that doesn’t really make for good will.”
Ariola said the financial support will not change the relationship between himself and Drummond.
“He and I have a great relationship. It’s not combative at all,” Ariola said. “It’s not personal. We are citizens of the city of Taylor and have the right to support individuals.”
According to Ariola, Drummond actively supported one of Ariola’s opponents during last year’s balloting.
He also believes support from sitting council members, financial or otherwise, should be in the background and should not be made public.
“I’ve stated in public forums, you know who I’m (supporting), but I’m not going to actively campaign,” he said.
During his time on the council, Ancira said there were unwritten rules that council members abided by during elections.
“I think we all honored the ‘friendly incumbent’ rule. The incumbent is the incumbent, and they earned the right, they’ve been here, they got elected, and I’m not to get involved in that race,” Ancira said. “I don’t think I got involved in any race where an incumbent was involved, whether I agreed with them or not.”
There was a different arrangement when races featured new contenders.
“You try to get your folks in there, the people that agree with you,” the former mayor said. “But against a sitting incumbent, it’s just a little unusual in my mind.”
Rydell, who made a $250 donation to Drummond’s campaign, indicated he believes continuity at City Hall is important.
“I’ve been supportive of all our council members over time,” Rydell said. “I think having Mitch coming back on the council is going to be very important, and I just want to show my support for him.”
While he is not running again for District 3, Rydell said sitting council members making donations does not violate any electioneering statutes.
Rydell, an attorney, referenced the Citizens United decision by the U.S. Supreme Court, which said “money is speech.” The case against the Federal Election Commission questioned limits on the amount of money corporations or outside groups could spend on campaigns.
“It’s a First Amendment issue of how people are being able to contribute,” he said. “There’s nothing illegal about it. It may be upsetting to folks.”
Cmerek said he still has the funds and has limited his spending since he does not face an opponent.
Keeping Taylor nonpartisan
Contributions in Taylor’s local races have seen a recent uptick even before this year’s contests, with some fearing a partisan perspective.
Municipal and school board races, unlike county, state and national contests, are normally nonpartisan and not affiliated with political parties.
Last year, District 50 state Rep. James Talarico, D-Austin, made a $5,000 contribution to Janetta McCoy, one of Ariola’s opponents.
Ariola said it was strange that a sitting state representative donated to a local nonpartisan election “in that great of amount.” “The city of Taylor is nonpartisan, period. That’s the way it should be,” Ariola said. “In this scenario with 18,000 people, you represent all...and we need to keep it that way.”
Talarico said he has a friendship with McCoy and was strictly showing support, not partisanship.
“I’ve known (McCoy) for a long time, I know what’s she’s done for the community in Taylor, and I believe that she was the best candidate to serve on the City Council,” Talarico said.
“I support nonpartisan candidates all the time for local and county positions,” he added. “I serve in a partisan position as a Democrat, but I was giving to (McCoy) in her nonpartisan race.”
Talarico said he has a policy in the House that he does not actively campaign against sitting candidates, Democrat or Republican.
Ariola said it’s important to remain nonpartisan when it comes to local politics. “You continue to listen to all of the citizens,” Ariola said. “The neighborhoods and the streets aren’t Democratic or Republican, they are our issues that need to be handled.”
When Talarico made the contribution, he was representing Taylor in the Legislature and had a working relationship with the council and community.
“I wanted to make sure we had a good local partner to work with,” he said.
Candidates share their thoughts “One of the best things about living in the United States of American is that each and every one of us has the right, in any election, to support whomever we choose in whatever manner we choose to do so,” Cobb said. “I am beyond blessed to have received the overwhelming amount of support I have in this campaign from hundreds of people, whether it be monetarily, with signs, words of encouragement or a helping hand.”
Others have a view that differs from Cobb, including Burris, who disagrees with the tactic of a sitting council member contributing to the campaign of someone trying to unseat a City Hall colleague.
Burris also ran for Drummond’s District 2 seat.
“I just think it’s totally inappropriate,” Burris said. “I would consider it legal, but unethical. There’s a lot of stuff that we think is unethical, but it still meets legal.”
According to Burris, in 1985 a group of residents tired of the political process in Taylor eventually were rewarded by a ruling from the Texas Supreme Court that gave the city single-member districts.
“Ever since that’s passed and we’ve had districts, there’s a group of people that tries to circumvent that whole process by funneling money and support to candidates that aren’t even in their district,” he said. “I think it’s just terrible.”
Wolff feels finances should not be the centerpiece of election campaigns.
“Sorry they feel money is a vital resource, (a) requirement in still … small-town politics,” she said. “So much to do and so little resources to pay for everything. I still believe in the priceless top-notch grapevines and the residents of this community.”
Moving forward as a council
“It is politics, and that’s just the way it goes,” Rydell said about the situation. “The hope is once the dust settles, that whoever is on the council can put all of that electioneering aside and just work together for the good of the community.”
Cobb said what happened leading up to the May 4 vote was not personal.
“(Council members have) a job to do, and that job is to serve the people of this community,” Cobb said before the vote. “That means leaving personal feelings and agendas at the door and working to find common ground for the common good.”
Drummond said cooperation for the good of Taylor has always been the key during his tenure at City Hall.
“I can work with anybody that is sitting up there on the dais. We have disagreements, sometimes they’re heated, but at the end of the day we have to work together and move forward,” he said.
In 2022, the City Council was voted Council of the Year by the Texas Management Association.
Ancira wonders if that feeling of camaraderie changed.
“I’m not saying I disagree, but this is different than how it’s been in the past,” he said. The current council has too much to grapple with to allow personal divisions to deter any progress, he added.
“We’ve already got enough tension on this council, we don’t need to create additional tension,” Ancira said.
Hill said regardless of personal feelings among candidates, the work of the community comes first.
“Politics are dirty,” Hill said. “We have to make this thing work for the whole community.”
Ariola said he has no doubts the council will continue working together.
“Ninety-five percent of our votes are 5-0,” Ariola said. “Those that are 4-1, I just state the facts. It’s not personal.”
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Politics are dirty. … We have to make this thing work for the whole community.”
-former Mayor Don Hill
