Developers and engineers dominate the list of contributors to the re-election campaign of incumbent District 3 Charlotte County Commissioner Tom Moore, a retired engineering equipment salesmen.

A couple of local environmental advocates and a half-dozen attorneys have contributed to challenger Percy Angelo, an environmental attorney who worked in a large Chicago firm until she retired.

And a smattering of local Englewood businesses and residents have contributed to the campaign of Robert Skidmore, Charlotte County Airport Authority member who has been involved with the Englewood Chamber of Commerce.

But what those facts say about each candidate depends upon which candidate one asks.

The latest campaign finance reports, filed this month for the first quarter of 2008, brought the District 3 campaigns to the following totals:

Angelo's contributors include retired attorney and pilot Richard Nelson of Punta Gorda and environmental advocate Debra Highsmith of Pirate Harbor. Angelo and Nelson each contributed detailed analyses of the county's proposed phosphate compact, in voicing opposition to the settlement deal.

Highsmith has also provided input in support of stronger environmental protections, as a Sierra Club member who also sits on a citizens' committee of the Charlotte Harbor National Estuary Program.

Nelson donated $500 and Highsmith $50, the campaign reports show.

Attorneys or retired attorneys supporting Angelo include Marilyn Friedberg of Westbury, N.Y. ($250), Matthew Rooney of Evanston, Ill. ($250) and John Gearen of Oak Park, Ill. ($200).

“I think I'm probably more environmental than other candidates,” said Angelo. “I have a lot of support, I believe, from people who support environmental issues.”

Moore's contributors include engineering firms Ardaman & Associates of Sarasota; Barraco & Associates, Kreg Maheu, William Ritchie, Dorian Popescu and Karl Kokomoor of Englewood; Gary Bors of Lighthouse Point; and Damann Anderson of Apollo Beach. They contributed between $100 and $500 each.

One group of land-development partnerships and a medical doctor who each contributed $500 for a total of $2,500 share the same address, 1 Palm Ave., Miami Beach.

Those enterprises were the Peppermania and Maximania limited liability corporations and Dr. Morris Kravecas.

The fact that all five of those entities had the same address raised the eyebrow of at least one political observer, Robin Stublen, a lawn service owner who writes a blog on local politics.

“There's literally nothing illegal about the contributions (Moore) has received,” Stublen said. “Having said that, it stinks.”

Stublen said the multiple contributions from the same address, in his opinion, violate “the spirit of the law,” limiting individual contributions to $500.

He said the campaign contribution reports for other incumbent commission candidates show a similar pattern.

“I am sick and tired of seeing the citizens of Charlotte County being sold out to land-use attorneys, developers, people from out of state and the phosphate industry,” he said.

Kravecas, in a phone interview, said he has moved from Miami to Palm Island, a barrier island in Charlotte County. He said each of the corporations that shared his former Miami Beach address hold Englewood properties.

Combined, those corporations are owned by eight partners, so allowing a contribution from each one is fair, he said.

Kravecas also said he supports Moore because the one-term commissioner showed support for the issues of Palm Island residents.

“I have probably spoken to Tom Moore maybe five times,” Kravecas said. “Tom Moore was very supportive of us on Palm Island for the beach renourishment of all the environmental issues and the community plan,” Kravecas said. “He really cared about this island, as had (former Dist. 3 Commissioner) Mac Horton.”

Skidmore's contributions include ones for such local businesses as Kobie Complete Heating & Colling, MT's Gun Shop and the Key Agency insurance business.

Other contributors include a pastor, a retired judge and a housewife, his report indicates.

Skidmore is membership director for the Englewood Chamber of Commerce. But, in addition to his work with the chamber, he believes his contributions are coming because of his message: “people, not special interests,” he said.

“I have a broad range of support in our community, from grassroots to seniors,” he said. “I am proud to say I don't have any developer money.

“I look at Tom Moore, and he's taken more than a third of his contributions from developers and $2,000 in out-of-town Miami Beach money,” Skidmore added. “I'm not sure if that means he wants to turn Charlotte County into Miami Beach, but I am not for it.” Moore said he thinks developers and engineers are supporting his campaign because “they know enough about me to believe in what I'm trying to do for the county.”

“I think part of what you're seeing here is that I believe in smart growth, I believe in a strong environment,” Moore added, citing his support for barrier islands' issues as an example. Sinclair, a former builders association director, loaned his own campaign $10,000 but hasn't collected more than a couple of donations. He said he concentrated more on gathering petitions to qualify as a candidate than raising funds.