Akron Mayor Don Plusquellic and an independent group that supported him have spent more than $430,000 this year on his re-election bid.This is nearly seven times the $63,000 dolled out by Akron Councilman Mike Williams, one of two candidates who challenged Plusquellic in the Democratic primary in September. And the sum dwarfs the approximately $14,000 spent by attorney Jennifer Hensal, Plusquellic’s Republican opponent in Tuesday’s general election, according to post-primary and pre-general election campaign finance reports filed with the Summit County Board of Elections.Williams thinks the presence of Partners Advancing Akron’s Future, an independent expenditure group backed by local business leaders, doomed his campaign. The group spent nearly $168,000 on television spots, mailings, postage, surveys and a tracking poll on behalf of Plusquellic. Williams said the group, whose formation was permitted under a recent U.S. Supreme Court decision, circumvented Akron’s campaign finance rules that limit mayoral candidates to contributions of $450 per election.“Under Akron’s rules, they cheated,” Williams said. “Unbridled money is being funneled into various campaigns. It is frankly perverting the system. It’s something we’re going to have to get a handle on, or regular citizens are going to lose control — and to some degree already have — with the amount of money being spent.”Gert Wilms, Plusquellic’s campaign manager, said the campaign, as required, had no coordination with the independent group. She also questions some of the campaign finance information filed in Williams’ reports, especially concerning loans, and whether Williams might have violated the city’s limits and filing guidelines.“We still have the general election — that’s our primary focus now,” Wilms said. “After the election slows down, we definitely are going to look into it.”The Akron mayoral election has already broken records, with one more set of campaign finance reports due in mid-December. The race marks the first time an outside group has contributed a significant amount to a local municipal election. The large totals also reflect how elections at every level — local, state and national — continue to get more expensive.Gov. John Kasich and former Gov. Ted Strickland spent a combined $37.4 million last year, a record for an Ohio gubernatorial race. The pro- and anti-groups for Issue 2, a statewide issue on Tuesday’s ballot that will keep or repeal a state law limiting collective bargaining for public employees, have raised in excess of $38 million, according to the latest campaign finance filings. President Barack Obama is expected to raise $750 million to $1 billion next year in his re-election bid, which would be the most spent by a presidential candidate.“In this current environment, political candidates feel the necessity to raise as much as they possibly can,” said Steve Brooks, associate director of the University of Akron’s Bliss Institute of Applied Politics. “If you can find individuals willing to contribute to you, that’s how the process works.”Brooks said he doesn’t “see an end to the escalation” in campaign spending.Record spendingThe combined total the mayoral candidates and the outside group have spent tops $500,000 — more than any other Akron mayoral race.Plusquellic’s committee had spent $266,000 as of the latest report. The mayor said fundraising is one of the least favorite parts of the job for him but is necessary.“Unless you raise money, you can’t spend money to tell people your message about what you’ve done,” he said.Plusquellic had about $84,000 left over, while Hensal had just over $3,500 remaining, according to the reports, which ran through Oct. 19.The totals will be higher after Plusquellic and Hensal file their post-election reports, which are due Dec. 16. Plusquellic held a fundraiser last week.Janice Davis, the third Democratic candidate in the primary, listed only an in-kind contribution of about $300 in her post-primary report. Katie Marie Wilkins, the second GOP candidate, who basically ran no campaign, didn’t file a report.Hensal gave about $9,700 to her own campaign and Williams loaned nearly $63,000 to his campaign, according to the latest reports. Plusquellic reported no loans or debt in his report.Under Akron’s charter, candidates may spend as much as they want on their own campaigns. However, any contributions — including loans — from other people are subject to the $450 per election cap.Plusquellic’s biggest expense in his latest report was $29,426 paid to Cromwell & Co. of Akron for design and mailing services. He also paid about $6,300 to R Strategy Group of Cleveland, his political consultant; $4,000 to Kevin Lockett of Akron for social media consulting; $1,963 to the Tyson Corp. of Fort Worth, Texas, for survey calls; and $3,434 to Patriot Signage Inc. of Dayton, Ky., for yard signs.Williams paid $23,555 to Icon Ad Agency in Akron for a television media buy. He also spent about $8,800 on postage for mailings, nearly $3,700 on radio spots at three local stations and $1,650 for the video production of an ad.Hensal paid $888 to O’Neil House in Akron, where she held a fundraiser, and $420 to Print Plus in Akron for campaign literature. The first-time candidate, facing a longtime well-connected incumbent, said fundraising was difficult.“We tried,” she said. “Obviously, we had a much smaller operation.”Outside groupThe bulk of Partners Advancing Akron’s Future’s (PAAF) money — about $185,000 — went to Burges & Burges, a Cleveland political consultant that is well-known in the Akron area.Burges & Burges bought two cable television commercials and 27 spots during Cleveland Indians games and sent out two mailings.In addition to activities backing Plusquellic, the group contributed $65,000 to the Akron Public Schools’ levy campaign (Issue 14) and spent about $8,800 on administrative expenses and a nonpartisan, get-out-the-vote mailer, said Elizabeth Bartz, the group’s treasurer.This brings the newly formed group’s spending since mid-August to about $250,000.The group is headed by well-known business leaders in Akron: Jeff Heintz of Brouse McDowell, an Akron law firm; Bill Ginter, retired vice president of operations at Advanced Elastomer Systems in Akron; Joel Bailey, vice president of local affairs and economic development at FirstEnergy Corp.; and Dan Colantone, who heads the Greater Akron Chamber.Bartz, president and chief executive of State and Federal Communications Inc. in Akron, said the group supported Plusquellic because “he’s a great candidate. He’s great for the city.”The Partners group is required to report what it spends, but not who its contributors are or how much they gave. It submitted a list of donors to the Summit County elections board, but didn’t say how much they contributed.The more than 40 contributors included UA President Luis Proenza, Akron Children’s Hospital President William Considine, Ann Amer Brennan, wife of Akron businessman David Brennan, and several local companies, including FirstMerit Bank, Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co., GOJO Industries and the Ruhlin Co.Bartz said the group’s mission is to be “Akron’s cheerleaders.” She said the group will meet this week to discuss its plans, which probably will include support for a Summit County Children Services’ levy that is expected to appear on the ballot next year. She said the group wants to “promote Akron to Akron.”Stephanie Warsmith can be reached at 330-996-3705 or swarsmith@thebeaconjournal.com.