Thier leads Tiburon council candidates in election fundraising; Nikfar fails to file required disclosures

Tiburon Vice Mayor Holli Thier has so far raised some $47,000 in her bid to retain her seat on the Town Council, far outpacing challengers Andrew Thompson, who has raised about $8,500, and Chuck Hornbrook, who’s netted about $2,000, according to pre-election disclosures due Sept. 26.

Meanwhile, the fourth candidate running in the Nov. 5 election for two four-year seats, incumbent Councilmember Isaac Nikfar, missed the state’s initial campaign-finance deadline entirely for the second straight election.

The California Fair Political Practices Commission requires two pre-election campaign-finance disclosures, the first due Sept. 26 for a period covering July 1-Sept. 21. A second disclosure is required by Oct. 24 for a period beginning Sept. 22 and ending Oct. 19.

Thier’s initial disclosure showed $46,975 in donations plus nonmonetary contributions valued at $2,575, for a total of $49,550 in contributions during the first period. She’s spent about $2,200 so far.

Hornbrook raised $2,184 in campaign funds from July 1 to Sept. 21, including $600 in nonmonetary contributions, and spent about $2,500, while Thompson raised $8,492 in the initial period, with $3,000 coming from a loan to himself, and spent about $2,100.

The disclosure is required of candidates who receive or spend more than $2,000, while a different declaration form is required for candidates who believe they won’t meet those thresholds at any point in their campaign.

In a repeat of last year’s election, Nikfar didn’t file despite a legal requirement to do so and could face referral to the state and financial penalties.

Nikfar never formally closed out his campaign committee from the August 2023 special election, when he won his current Town Council seat, said Town Clerk Lea Dilena. Any candidate with an open committee must file the financial disclosure form, regardless of their fundraising or spending totals.

Dilena said she emailed reminders to Nikfar to file his reports Sept. 23 and Oct. 2. The most recent reminder starts a 60-day clock for Nikfar to file his campaign-finance report before getting referred to the state commission. State penalties for late filings can be $10 per day and up to $5,000 for failing to file.

The same thing happened last year, when Nikfar didn’t file his first required report after failing to close out his campaign committee from his unsuccessful council bid in November 2022. Dilena sent reminder emails after he missed that deadline, too, but Nikfar didn’t file until a month later — on the deadline for the second required disclosure.

Nikfar did not respond to two text and two email inquiries about why he had not filed.

Candidates must also file contribution reports within 24 hours if they receive a total of more than $1,000 from a single source. A semi-annual report for the period covering Oct. 20 to Dec. 31 is due Jan. 31, 2025.

The only confirmed contribution made to Nikfar’s campaign was a $1,500 contribution by Marin Professional Firefighters Local 1775’s political-action committee Sept. 20.

In her first pre-election disclosure, Thier reported receiving a $5,500 donation, the maximum allowed by state law, from Sonoma-based landlord A&C Ventures, which owns many downtown Tiburon buildings and operates locally as ACV Argo Tiburon LP. A&C Ventures’ chief growth officer, John Hoffman of Mill Valley, personally contributed $2,000 to Thier’s campaign, as did Tiburon landlord Zelinsky Properties LLC, which owns much of Ark Row.

Thier has also collected donations from several public officials, including $5,500 from Marin Municipal Water District board member Larry Russell of Tiburon; $1,100 each from Tiburon Councilmember Jon Welner and College of Marin board member Crystal Martinez; $500 each from state Assemblymember Damon Connolly, D-San Rafael, and Tiburon Diversity Inclusion Task Force member Ruben Kalra of Belvedere; $250 from Larkspur Vice Mayor Catherine Way; and $100 from Marin District 4 Supervisor Dennis Rodoni.

Thier has also collected donations from several organizations’ political-action committees, including $3,000 from the Marin firefighters’ union; $2,500 from San Francisco-based pipefitters, steamfitters and HVAC workers’ union United Association Local 38; $1,000 from the Santa Rosa-based North Bay Labor Council Committee on Political Education; and $500 from San Francisco-based Teamsters Union Local 665. Concord-based Operating Engineers Local 3 gave $1,000 Sept. 25, after the first campaign-finance disclosure period ended.

Her campaign-finance disclosure also shows Thier receiving food and supplies valued at $2,000 for a campaign party from Tiburon resident Pamela Green and barbecue supplies from the Marin firefighters’ union worth $500.

Thier has spent just over $922 in campaign paraphernalia, roughly $845 in PayPal fees for campaign fundraising and $450 on fundraising events.

Hornbrook’s disclosure shows he donated $500 to himself. Tiburon attorney Paul Nathan donated $250, Hornbrook’s father, Lynn Hornbrook of Denver, donated $200, and Tiburon resident Sanna Thomas donated $198.

Hornbrook also received pre-movie advertising worth $600 from Tiburon resident and Cinelounge owner Christian Meoli.

Paid expenses for the Hornbrook campaign include nearly $410 in signage, $50 to register with the California Secretary of State’s office, $34 for a voter list from the Marin Registrar of Voters, $25 to file campaign paperwork with Tiburon and about $24 in PayPal fees from campaign fundraising.

Accrued expenses, which are unpaid, include about $1,143 in campaign material, $600 in translation expenses with the Marin elections office and $224 in web services.

In addition to Thompson’s $3,000 self-loan, his first disclosure shows a donation of $3,000 from Zelinsky Properties. Tiburon resident Majorie Baylor gave $500, while fellow resident Marilynn Preston donated $218. Tiburon residents, Maxine Papadakis, William Seaman and Nonie Greene, as well as Sausalito psychologist Diane Cirincione Jampolsky, each gave $250.

Thompson’s cousin, Indianapolis resident J. Allan Hall, donated $1,000 to Thompson’s campaign Sept. 23, after the first campaign-finance disclosure period ended.

Thompson’s itemized expenditures in his campaign-finance report include $1,000 to a campaign consultant, $637 to campaign ads that ran in The Ark and around $483 for web services.

Reach reporter Francisco Martinez at 415-944-4634. DONATE to support local journalism, or SUBSCRIBE NOW for home delivery and access to the digital replica.

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