LOCAL ELECTIONS / SANTA ANA MAYOR : Young, 3 Candidates Take Big Lead in Fund-Raising : Incumbent outdistances Councilman John Acosta by about 9-to-1 margin when it comes to campaign spending.

SANTA ANA — With contributions primarily from development interests, Mayor Daniel H. Young and his three allies on the Nov. 3 City Council election ballot have greatly outdistanced their rivals in campaign fund-raising and spending, according to financial statements filed at City Hall this week.

In the mayoral race, Young has outspent his opponent, Councilman John Acosta, by an almost 9-to-1 margin.

Young and his three unofficial running mates vying for open seats on the council have raised almost $87,000--almost four times the amount collected by the remaining nine candidates combined.

The candidates who received financial support and the endorsement of the mayor are Glenn Mondo, an attorney, in Ward 1; Lisa Mills, a project planner for the Orange County Transportation Authority, in Ward 3; and Thomas E. Lutz, a construction contractor, in Ward 5.

Young, who is considered the front-runner in the mayoral race, said the level of campaign contributions shows who has the backing of the business community and neighborhood organizations.

“There’s no question in my mind that the people who are going to be the best qualified candidates, those that I am supporting, are going to win,” Young said.

The mayor, who is a developer and a member of the Orange County Transportation Authority board, downplayed the development community’s contributions to his slate of candidates, and said, “There’s not that many.”

But he accused his opponent, Acosta, of taking money from business groups that have fought city regulations.

“John’s taking money from towing truck companies and people who want to do away with our development standards. John’s led the charge for those companies,” Young said.

But Acosta said he had received only three contributions from towing companies totaling $400.

Minutes of the City Council meetings show that Acosta initially voted against a new $25 fee for each vehicle taken from private property, but then joined the council majority on the second reading of the ordinance in July.

The councilman shot back at Young, claiming that “Santa Ana is sold and you can see who bought it.”

Acosta, commenting on Young’s campaign finance reports for the first half of this year, said that out of 114 contributors, only “three people can vote for him. I ask you, are those three people going to carry him to victory?” The latest report shows 20 contributions from individuals with Santa Ana addresses, but the residences of the business owners are not listed.

Pointing to the campaign contributions from businesses outside of Orange County, including law firms that specialize in bonds for public projects, Acosta added: “Do you think they are going to give money back in New York to Santa Ana just because Santa Ana happens to be the gem of the U.S.? Talk about special interest. . . .”

Campaign Coffers

Mayor Daniel H. Young and his three unofficial running mates for the Santa Ana City Council have raised almost $87,000--more than four times the amount collected by the remaining nine candidates combined.

MAYOR

Daniel H. Young, incumbent Contributions: $37,245 Expenditures: 44,941 John Acosta, councilman Contributions: $9,298 Expenditures: 5,661

WARD 1 (open seat)

Henry Le Contributions: -- Expenditures: -- Note: Did not file report Glenn Mondo * Contributions: $10,639 Expenditures: 7,177 Note: includes outstanding $2,500 loan from the Friends of Mayor Dan Young committee Ted R. Moreno Contributions: $2,250 Expenditures: 2,056 Note: includes $750 self loan

WARD 3 (open seat)

Gordon L. Bricken Contributions: $1,933 Expenditures: 1,783 Lisa Mills * Contributions: $22,378 Expenditures: 12,836 John Michael Patterson Contributions: $1,650 Expenditures: 1,650 Note: includes $100 self loan Frances M. Williams Contributions: -- Expenditures: -- Note: Did not file report

WARD 5 (open seat)

Zeke Hernandez Contributions: $2,528 Expenditures: 722.65 Thomas E. Lutz * Contributions: $16,669 Expenditures: 11,084 Note: includes outstanding $2,000 self loan Sean H. Mill Contributions: $1,750 Expenditures: 995 Note: includes $640 self loan and $305 from his mother, Patricia H. Mill Harry K. Yamamoto Contributions: $1,200 Expenditures: 666 Note: includes $700 self loan * Candidate endorsed by Mayor Daniel H. Young

Source: Campaign disclosure forms received through Sept. 30, 1992 Researched by GEBE MARTINEZ / Los Angeles Times