Curtis leads Provo mayoral hopefuls in spending

PROVO — Businessman John Curtis has outspent his four opponents combined by more than $12,000 in the first leg of the Provo mayor's race as Tuesday's primary nears.

Campaign financial reports filed with the Provo City Recorder's Office on Tuesday show Curtis has spent $37,777 in his bid for the city's top elected post — more than twice as much as Rep. Steve Clark, R-Provo, who has spent $15,057, and three times that of real estate salesman Don Allphin, $10,127.

The reports show that the two other candidates have mounted less ambitious campaigns, with Neil Mitchell spending $268 and 21-year-old Ammon Cunningham reporting zero in both funds raised and funds spent. Andrew P. Thompson spent $48 before withdrawing from the race this week.

Curtis also leads all candidates in fundraising, with $43,889 in his campaign coffers to date.

The disclosure forms were filed one week before the primary election, when the list of five candidates will be trimmed to two who will appear on the ballot in the Nov. 3 municipal election.

The race was thrown wide open when Provo Mayor Lewis Billings announced in June that he would not run for a fourth term.

Curtis said the big money numbers are the results of a long-term campaign.

"We started my campaign last November, and I believed at that time I was running against an incumbent who spent $90,000 on his last election," he said. "I knew that I had to have this kind of campaign effort."

Allphin said he was concerned at the amount of money Curtis has spent on the campaign at this early stage of the election. At the current pace, Curtis is likely to spend $100,000, Allphin said.

"I'm a fiscal conservative," he said. "I just think it's unconscionable that someone is spending this much money on a campaign in this economy. I am thrilled that I spent the least of all the major candidates."

Clark said he also has spent all he plans to for the primary and will wait until campaigning starts for the general election, should he prevail in the primary, to start raising funds seriously.

"I've probably gone to my limit," he said. "Local elections are tough to finance, but I'm hoping I'll be one of the two in the general election and can generate some more support."

Clark said he felt good about his chances to do well Tuesday, based on the support he's getting in the community.