The runoff race for Leander mayor is in full swing, and the campaigns are taking their best swings at each other. Team Vic has been running ads on Facebook. One of the claims is that Vic Villarreal won't owe any paybacks or favors to anyone for campaign contributions unlike his opponent. This claim deserves a closer look since Villarreal has received over $20,000 in contributions compared to Troy Hill who has received about half as much according to the most recent campaign finance reports found on the city's website. (See https://www.leandertx.gov/citysecretary/page/elections2018 for the reports.)
Here is a summary of the candidates' contributions reported with a few breakdowns by contributor's city, contributor type (PAC or not), and contributor's area of interest.
| Villarreal | Hill | ||||
| TOTAL CONTRIBUTIONS | $ 21,880.00 | 100% | TOTAL CONTRIBUTIONS | $ 11,351.00 | 100% |
| PACs (Builders/Developers) | $ 2,100.00 | 10% | PACs (Pro-business) | $ 5,401.00 | 48% |
| Contribution categories: | Contribution categories: | ||||
| Real Estate & Development | $ 19,550.00 | 89% | Real Estate & Development | $ 3,250.00 | 29% |
| Financing | $ 500.00 | 2% | Financing | $ - | 0% |
| Other | $ 1,450.00 | 7% | Other | $ 2,100.00 | 18% |
| Unknown | $ 630.00 | 3% | Unknown (cash and in-kind) | $ 6,001.00 | 53% |
| Leander contributors | $ 3,300.00 | 15% | Leander contributors | $ 3,750.00 | 33% |
Villarreal currently has received less contributions from people or businesses who call Leander home with $3,300 as compared to $3,750 for Troy Hill.
The Villarreal PAC money of $2,100 is from builders and developers. Hill has about half of his contributions ($5,000 cash plus in-kind donations) from the Texas Stronger PAC based out of Georgetown. The PAC describes itself as pro-business. Much has been claimed about Hill's relationship with Andy Pitts; however, at this time Pitts does not appear on the finance reports of Hill's campaign nor the Texas Stronger PAC reports found on the Texas Ethics Commission website. As many citizens note, the problem with PACs is the delay in transparency for pop-up ones such as this. The most recent filing for the PAC lists a contributor with real estate interests. Time will tell.
Both candidates are getting sizeable donations from contributors with financial interests in Leander's growth. Villarreal is getting much more money so you might say they are betting on Team Vic. As for Team Vic's claim that he'll be no-strings-attached Mayor Villarreal, I'd rate the claim as doubtful. It would be refreshing to see lots of regular citizens giving financial support to the campaigns, but that is not the case for either candidate.
Below is the full detail of the contributors (names withheld although those can be found on the campaign finance reports at the Leander City website).
VILLARREAL CAMPAIGN FINANCE REPORT - CONTRIBUTORS
| City | Amount | Occupation | Employer | Notes |
| Austin | $ 500.00 | Attorney | McCall,Parkhurts,Horton | Public finance |
| Richardson | $ 250.00 | Consulting - Engineering/Architecture/Planning | PAC | |
| Cedar Park | $ 250.00 | Trust | works for JL Powers: "He has specialized in public/private ventures", " Kaplan is well versed in planning and development issues" | |
| Austin | $ 1,000.00 | Land Developer | Self | |
| Austin | $ 1,000.00 | Land Developer | PAC | |
| Austin | $ 2,000.00 | (websearch: Developer) | Trust | "Tynberg LLC currently is involved in an urban development project in Leander, TX, which is located just minutes north of Austin, TX along the 183A Toll Road." |
| Dallas | $ 100.00 | Engineer (Civil) | Schnabel Engineers | "We provide specialized expertise and design for geotechnical, dam, and tunnel engineering projects across the United States and worldwide. " |
| Dallas | $ 100.00 | Engineer (Civil) | Schnabel Engineers | "We provide specialized expertise and design for geotechnical, dam, and tunnel engineering projects across the United States and worldwide. " |
| Cedar Park | $ 200.00 | Business Consultant - public sector projects | J. L. Powers | "Mitch works as a Senior Consultant for J.L. Powers and Associates, advising clients on gaining access to public sector projects, strategic planning, public-private partnerships," |
| Liberty Hill | $ 100.00 | Consultant | Self | Retired Leander ISD Superintendent |
| Austin | $ 250.00 | Business Owner - Civil Engineering | K. Friese and Associates | "civil engineering consulting services to our public sector clients" |
| Leander | $ 100.00 | Business executive | unknown | |
| Buda | $ 100.00 | Manager - Civil Engineering | CobbFendley | Civil Engineering |
| Austin | $ 100.00 | Admin | unknown | |
| Pflugerville | $ 200.00 | Teacher | Pflugerville ISD | |
| Ft. Worth | $ 300.00 | Developers | PAC | |
| Wimberly | $ 100.00 | Planning Consultant | XBlink | |
| Pagosa Springs, CO | $ 500.00 | Retired Engineer | ||
| McGregor | $ 250.00 | Engineers (Civil) | Walker Partners | Civil Engineering |
| Austin | $ 1,000.00 | Developer | Self | |
| Austin | $ 250.00 | Construction | American Constructors | |
| Driftwood | $ 250.00 | COO (Civil Engineering) | Walker Partners | Civil Engineering |
| Austin | $ 100.00 | Attorney (Developers) | GDHM | "practice includes representing developers, investors, and companies in the acquisition, disposition, leasing, development and entitlement of improved and raw land." |
| Round Rock | $ 350.00 | unknown | unknown | |
| Austin | $ 100.00 | Architect | Page | |
| Austin | $ 250.00 | Attorney | Armbrust & Brown | "represents clients before city and county governmental entities in land-use and business matters" |
| Austin | $ 100.00 | Real estate | Cresent Communities | |
| Austin | $ 100.00 | Real estate | self | |
| Austin | $ 100.00 | Business owner | self (web search: Founder, Smart City Policy Group) | "He currently serves as Founder of Smart City Policy Group, a government and public solutions firm working to help cities and states create effective regulations for the Sharing Economy, the Gig Economy - known as the New Economy." |
| Austin | $ 250.00 | Attorney (web search: real estate attorney) | Metcalfe, Wolff, Stewart,Williams | |
| Austin | $ 250.00 | Attorney | Metcalfe, Wolff, Stewart,Williams | |
| Austin | $ 250.00 | Attorney | Metcalfe, Wolff, Stewart,Williams | |
| Austin | $ 250.00 | Attorney | Metcalfe, Wolff, Stewart,Williams | |
| Austin | $ 250.00 | unknown | unknown | "The Novy Company is a full service medical/professional commercial real estate firm established in Austin Texas by founder Brian Novy." |
| Austin | $ 300.00 | Developers | PAC | |
| Dallas | $ 1,500.00 | Principal | Stantec | Real estate development |
| Dallas | $ 1,500.00 | Principal | Catlyn Capital | "Catlyn Capital Corp. operates as a real estate investment company." |
| Dallas | $ 1,500.00 | Real estate | Catlyn Capital | "Catlyn Capital Corp. operates as a real estate investment company." |
| Dallas | $ 1,500.00 | Real estate | Catlyn Capital | "Catlyn Capital Corp. operates as a real estate investment company." |
| Austin | $ 200.00 | Commercial Real estate | ARA Newmark | |
| Leander | $ 3,000.00 | Developer | MPE Realty | |
| Cedar Park | $ 100.00 | business owner | Mary Henderson associates | |
| Leander | $ 200.00 | unknown | unknown | |
| Austin | $ 250.00 | Commercial Real estate | unknown | |
| Leander | $ 250.00 | Builder | Giddens Homes | |
| Austin | $ 250.00 | Home builders | PAC | |
HILL CAMPAIGN FINANCE REPORT - CONTRIBUTORS
| City | Amount | Occupation | Employer | Notes |
| Leander | $ 2,000.00 | CIO | HP | |
| Leander | $ 300.00 | Realtor | ||
| Georgetown | $ 500.00 | Realtor | ||
| Austin | $ 500.00 | Realtor | ||
| Cedar Park | $ 100.00 | Realtor | ||
| Leander | $ 500.00 | Realtor | ||
| Georgetown | $ 401.00 | PAC | IN KIND | |
| Georgetown | $ 5,000.00 | PAC | support pro-business minded candidates in Leander | |
| Leander | $ 150.00 | Planning/Dev | ||
| Leander | $ 250.00 | |||
| Leander | $ 100.00 | Handy man | self | |
| Austin | $ 1,000.00 | Land Developer | ||
| Leander | $ 100.00 | contractor | self | |
| Leander | $ 150.00 | |||
| Lakeway | $ 100.00 | attorney | real estate | |
| Leander | $ 100.00 | |||
| Leander | $ 100.00 |
