Rocky must claim cab rides as gifts

Salt Lake City elections clerk Sonya Skyles has determined that Mayor Rocky Anderson's campaign will have to claim, as in-kind gifts, free cab rides voters took to polling locations during the Oct. 7 primary election.

The campaign will also have to claim free meals Gastronomy restaurants gave to Yellow Cab drivers who offered the free rides, Skyles said.

Also, in voicing her opinion but not an official finding, Skyles said that Anderson's campaign should have to pay for, or claim as in-kind gifts, the advertising the mayor's campaign has on Yellow Cabs throughout the city.

Anderson, along with campaign manager Sheryl Ivey, said they have not paid for the Yellow Cab advertising and don't plan to pay for it or claim it as an in-kind gift.

"This is the same as a yard sign or a bumper sticker," Ivey said.

In the e-mails to Skyles, Russel Ridge, who has unsuccessfully sought a city license to operate a competing cab company for more than three years, said the advertising Anderson has received from Yellow Cab over the past several months is worth between $60,000 and $400,000.

Ridge based those numbers on average advertising rates from cab companies nationwide and from what Yellow Cab's competitors would charge for similar time and space.

Under city election code, the maximum one company can give in cash or in-kind is $7,500.

Anderson asks why the Yellow Cab advertising is being questioned now since he has had it for many months and did it during his first campaign in 1999.

"We did this four years ago, and we've been doing it for months," he said.

The municipal election is Tuesday, and voters will choose between Anderson and challenger Frank Pignanelli.

Pignanelli's campaign manager is Dallis Nordstrom, who asked Skyles to probe the free rides and Gastronomy meals.

During the Oct. 7 primary, Yellow Cab told Anderson's campaign to inform people who need rides to the polls to call Yellow Cab and they would give them a free ride. Drivers who gave the free rides were then given free dinners at Gastronomy restaurants. Both Gastronomy and Yellow Cab are financial supporters of Anderson's re-election bid.

Anderson's campaign had not planned on claiming the free rides or meals as contributions until Skyles' ruling today.

Calls to Yellow Cab managers were not returned.

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E-mail: bsnyder@desnews.com