Billings broke records with campaign outlay

PROVO — Provo Mayor Lewis Billings smashed several city campaign records on his way to spending nearly $100,000 to win a third term last month.

A large chunk of the money came from former Springville Mayor Hal Wing and his wife Brigitte, who donated a total of $25,000 to the Billings campaign.

Together, Billings and challenger Dave Bailey shelled out more than was used in the previous two mayoral elections combined.

"The big story is that there was $95,000 spent on that race," Billings said of his own campaign expenses. "It seems huge and unholy to me. I hate to see that much spent."

Billings spent $86,225 in cash and used an additional $10,099 in donated goods and services, including rent on his campaign headquarters.

The total of $96,324 nearly doubled his opponent's expenses. Bailey spent $54,071.

"You are lying," said Mary Bailey, Bailey's wife and campaign manager, when told of Billings' campaign spending. "There's no way — $96,000? He spent 96 on this one? That is disgusting. He really thought he was going to lose."

Billings planned to raise $75,000 to $80,000 but said his narrow, 362-vote triumph over Bailey in 2001 made supporters wary when this year's campaign grew negative. He said what he considered a negative mailer by Bailey energized Billings supporters — and cost Wing more money.

"Four years ago I was slapped on the back and told I'd be mayor as long as I wanted to be mayor," Billings said. "Then I think people were surprised by the closeness of the race. This time they wanted to step up."

Wing invited business people to an October fund-raiser with the promise he would match most donations. The dinner at the Riverside Country Club raised more than $25,000.

"I think he was a little bit surprised," Billings said, "but he was a man of his word and wanted to do what he said he would do, and he did."

Wing is the owner of Wing Enterprises, maker of the Little Giant Ladder System. Wing moved the company to Provo earlier this year after the city offered a number of incentives, including 10 years without interest on a $2.4 million purchase of land from the city.