Financial disclosures show gap in candidate funds

District 5 candidates’ financial disclosures show that the candidates are operating on different budgets.

Incumbent District 5 trustee Roberto Zárate reported that his campaign has received $5,700 in campaign contributions while Ramiro Nava, former Edgewood Independent School District trustee and principal of Neil Armstrong Elementary School, reported no contributions in this reporting period.

According to the Texas Ethics Commission, candidates must file financial disclosure reports 30 days and eight days before the election May 12.

Zárate’s campaign received $3,000 from B.J. “Red” McCombs, former owner of the San Antonio Spurs and founder of the Red McCombs Automotive Group; $2,500 from real estate developer Charles Martin Wender; and $200 from District 9 trustee James Rindfuss.

In an interview April 17, district ethics officer Eddie Cruz said trustees may contribute to other trustees’ campaigns without creating conflicts of interest.

“Every citizen has a right to be involved,” Cruz said.

George Garnica, campaign treasurer for Nava’s campaign, said although the campaign has not received contributions, they are soliciting funds by block-walking and calling contributors from Nava’s campaign for Edgewood trustee.

Patton Zárate, campaign treasurer for Roberto Zárate’s campaign, did not return multiple phone calls.

District 5 extends from downtown along U.S. Highway 90 and state Highway 151 to Loop 1604.

To view the boundaries of each representative district, visit www.alamo.edu/district/board/ and click on “which board member represents me?”

Early voting hours for the May 12 election are:

• 8 a.m.-6 p.m. April 30-May 4

• 10 a.m.-6 p.m. May 5

• noon-6 p.m. May 6

• and 8 a.m.-8 p.m. May 7-8.

Early voting locations can be found at elections.bexar.org/ under “early voting locations and hours of operation.”

Voting is conducted 7 a.m.-7 p.m. May 12.

To find your voting precinct, visit elections.bexar.org/ and click on “precinct finder.”