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Steamboat Springs — Coucilwoman Cari Hermacinski continued to raise money at a breakneck pace last month and reported about $8,500 in fundraising in her bid for re-election in the second of three campaign finance filings this election cycle.

The figure includes $3,200 Hermacinski loaned to her own campaign. Her expenditures for the same time period included the repayment of a previous $5,000 loan to her own campaign.

Hermacinski's opponent for a Steamboat Springs City Council seat representing District 1, Kevin Bennett, came in a distant second with $2,300 raised in the most recent filing period. That amount includes $1,200 in contributions from himself.

Friday at 5 p.m. was the deadline for municipal candidates to report fundraising totals and expenditures for the period from Oct. 9 to Oct. 25. Combining all contributions through Oct. 25, and subtracting her two loans, Hermacinski has raised more than $15,000 from outside contributors. Not counting the $2,700 he has contributed to himself, Bennett has raised a total of $5,187 from outside contributors.

Bennett did not return phone messages left at his home and office Monday.

Hermacinski said the amount of money she has raised translates into support and noted that she actually has raised and spent less than she did in 2007, when she won the two-year, at-large City Council seat. Hermacinski is leaving that seat to run for the four-year, District 1 seat. She said her fundraising doesn't necessarily give her an edge.

"I think Kevin has been doing a lot of door-to-door, too, and that's effective and doesn't cost a lot of money," Hermacinski said.

Former Councilman Jim Engelken, who faces Kyle Pietras in the race for council's at-large seat, said the amount of money Hermacinski is spending and forcing Bennett to spend is "absolutely obscene" and could have gone to better purposes.

"This is a $600-a-month job. It's public service," Engelken said. "I'm quite happy I didn't have to spend more than I did, and I'm quite happy Kyle didn't spend more than he did."

Engelken reported $350 in contributions during the second filing period, for a total of $2,553. His opponent, Kyle Pietras, reported $1,899.20 during the second filing period, for a total of $3,717.20. Pietras' total includes about $1,400 he has contributed to himself. Engelken and Pietras said they did not solicit campaign contributions.

"People are just very, very generous, and I'm psyched," Pietras said. "That helps me out."

Contribution totals are nearly even in the District 2 race. City Council candidate Kenny Reisman raised $1,720 in the second filing period, for a total of $3,895. He said he doesn't view contributions as a competition.

Voters are "starting to understand what I'm all about," Reisman said, "and that's conducive to fundraising."

Reisman's opponent, Ken Solomon, is just $44 behind, with a total of $3,851. He reported $522 in the latest filing period. Solomon said he is proud that only $30 of his total came from outside Routt County, from a single person who lives here part time. Reisman's total includes $1,700 from contributors who reside outside Routt County.

Finance reports for Oct. 26 to Nov. 28 are due Dec. 3, 30 days after the election.