Republican Richard Snelgrove has stayed cool through much of this fall's campaign. His style is low-key and low-cost — to a point. The topic that has really been heating Snelgrove up is Randy Horiuchi, his Democratic opponent in the race for County Council at-large seat A. It's just a two-year post, but it's the one council contest that has sprouted thorns.
Horiuchi is a lobbyist "with a plate full of special-interest clients," Snelgrove says, so there's no way he can be an unbiased county councilman.
But when asked about his occupation for a pre-election article, Horiuchi said last month that his full-time job is as vice president of Deseret Certified Development Co., a small-business financing firm he co-founded in 1980.
This infuriated Snelgrove, who promptly distributed a list of Horiuchi's lobbyist clients. The 12 organizations include Intermountain Health Care, the Salt Lake Metropolitan Water District, Utah Petroleum Marketers and Utahns for Fair Taxation.
"I thought I told you that," Horiuchi said later. "On the side I've been known to do some lobbying." Then the candidate, who was a Salt Lake County commissioner from 1990-98, emphasized that if elected to the new council, he wouldn't mix his lobbying activities with his work as a council member.
"I would refuse to do any lobbying that would have any relationship to the county."
But what about that $40,000 loaned to the Horiuchi campaign — by Horiuchi and Associates, the lobbying firm? Snelgrove said he suspects that is "laundered money" from "Horiuchi's special-interest clients."
That's "a silly concept," Horiuchi replied. Candidates routinely make loans to themselves during campaigns, he said. County mayoral hopeful Nancy Workman, a Republican, is one such lender.
"I've been fortunate to make a few dollars this year that could be loaned
out," Horiuchi said, adding that despite the name, his firm doesn't really have any associates. "It's me, myself and I," he said.
"I'm not afraid to report receiving money from anyone. If I were (afraid), I wouldn't take it."
Horiuchi's list of 23 contributors, who gave a total of $20,475, includes $1,000 from the Boyer development company, $2,000 from Solitude ski resort owner Gary DeSeelhorst and $500 from the Salt Lake Board of Realtors.
Next question from Snelgrove: What about those Reagan billboards? Did the sign company make a deal since Horiuchi, as county commissioner in 1997, loosened the limits on billboards in Salt Lake County?
Horiuchi is a little annoyed by that, but he answers readily. "Look at my financial disclosure statement filed this week at the county clerk's office," he said. It shows Horiuchi owes $29,719 to Reagan Outdoor Sign Co.
"I'm going to have to do some fund raising to retire that debt," he said. "Reagan charged me the rack rate. They gave me no break" for buying 30 billboards emblazoned with the candidate's sunglassed face and the words "He's back."
Horiuchi also spent $20,000 on radio commercials. Meanwhile, Snelgrove has had fliers and lawn signs printed — no radio ads nor billboards. In his financial disclosure, he reports total expenditures of $1,788 but doesn't itemize them as is required by the County Elections Division.
"I may have forgotten that," Snelgrove admitted. County Clerk Sherrie Swensen said her office is sending a letter to Snelgrove, advising him that there's no penalty for lateness, but that he must provide the list.
Snelgrove prides himself on his thriftiness. He spent more than the Libertarian candidate for council seat A, Cabot Nelson, whose statement shows sign-printing costs of $590. It's the Democrat's spending in this race, Snelgrove says, that borders on the profligate.
As Democrats in Utah, Horiuchi replies, "we have to work harder." Besides, "the time spent on campaigning is a very large part of public service. It's going out and asking people for their support . . . If you put your name out there, you want people to associate it with someone who's willing to go out and work for their support. So I'm not ashamed of that."
E-MAIL: durbani@desnews.com