Summer Villas developer’s company gives $2,000 to PAC backing Elk Grove’s Sergio Robles

ELK GROVE, Calif. — A company identified with Summer Villas developer Bryan Wilson contributed $2,000 to a political action committee that reported spending more than $7,600 supporting Councilmember Sergio Robles’ reelection, campaign disclosures show.

The contribution links financial support for the incumbent to a developer seeking city approval for a proposed 499-home community in Elk Grove’s rural area. The Planning Commission is scheduled to consider Summer Villas on Nov. 5, two days after the election.

Better Leaders PAC reported receiving $2,000 on Sept. 21 from River City Waste Recyclers LLC, listing Wilson in parentheses next to the company’s name. The filing lists an El Dorado Hills address for the contributor.

Wilson’s role in Summer Villas is documented in the city’s public hearing notice, which identifies Sheldon Business Park Ltd., with Gyan Kalwani and Bryan Wilson, as the project owner/applicant. State environmental records also identify Wilson as the project applicant contact for Sheldon Business Park. elkgrove.gov

The proposed development at 9350 Sheldon Road would allow up to 499 age-restricted homes on approximately 116 acres. Applicants are seeking changes to the General Plan, Rural Community Plan, and zoning, including removing the property from the Rural Area Community Plan.

City staff has recommended denial of the requested General Plan amendment and rezoning. The City Council, on which Robles serves, however, has final approval authority.

Better Leaders PAC’s Form 496, dated Oct. 28, reports a $7,645.24 expenditure for mailers supporting Robles in District 4. The expenditure was dated Oct. 27, and the report lists the same amount as cumulative spending supporting him.

The report also discloses a $4,500 contribution received Oct. 19 from Sacramento-based Inverness Management LLC, identifying John Papagiannopoulos in parentheses. The two contributions listed total $6,500; the report does not provide a complete accounting of the committee’s finances.

The mailers represent independent spending supporting Robles, rather than a direct contribution to his campaign account.

Under California campaign-finance rules, spending qualifies as independent only when it is made without consultation, cooperation or coordination with the affected candidate or campaign. The records reviewed do not establish coordination between Better Leaders PAC and Robles.

Independence, however, does not make the contributors anonymous. The public filing identifies River City Waste Recyclers and Wilson, making that information available to Robles and voters.

Robles, a Democrat, faces underfunded Republican Peggy Parks in the District 4 city council election. His incumbency and the district’s substantial Democratic registration advantage give him a favorable position

A Political Data Inc. voter tracker on Nov. 3 lists 12,421 Democrats, 5,392 Republicans and 8,529 voters with no party preference or other affiliations in District 4. Democrats account for approximately 47.2% of the 26,342 voters listed, compared with 20.5% for Republicans — an advantage of more than 2-to-1.

Of 8,230 ballots returned in that update, 4,407 came from Democrats and 1,832 from Republicans. Those figures identify voters’ party affiliations, not their candidate choices or if they voted in this race.

Better Leaders PAC’s amended organizational statement lists Manjit Singh and Joe Zago as principal officers, Flora Yin as treasurer and Nathan Hardy as assistant treasurer. Although registered at a Los Angeles address, the committee identifies Elk Grove as its jurisdiction of activity.

The Summer Villas hearing is scheduled for 6 p.m. Nov. 5 in the City Council chambers, 8400 Laguna Palms Way.