CANDIDATES RELY ON VARIED STRATEGIES\Money, name recognition, issues among keys for council hopefuls.

Byline: Sherry Joe Crosby Daily News Staff Writer

If campaign finances are any indication of who will win this year's City Council race, then candidate Frank Ferry already has won.

The Valencia High School history teacher has raised $18,807 since July, more than any of the other candidates. In fact his closest challengers, former Councilwoman Jill Klajic and city parks Commissioner Laurene Weste, haven't come close, each having raised about $4,000.

Thirteen candidates are running for the seats of council members George Pederson, who is running for state Assembly, and Jan Heidt, who is seeking re-election.

Also running for council are Larry Bird, James Rose II, Gary Johnson, Kevin Keyes, Andy Martin, Reinhardt Schuerger, Louis Brathwaite, Timothy Boydston and Paul Bond.

As the April 9 election nears, well-known candidates are drawing on name recognition and years of community service to score points at the polls. Lesser-known candidates, however, are relying on money to gain name recognition among voters faced with too many choices and not enough information.

According to some, money has become increasingly important for candidates who want to make a good showing at the polls.

"You can definitely buy your way in," said Klajic, who intends to raise about $8,000 for her campaign. "Most people vote by brochure because they don't know who you are."

Others say it's issues - not money - that will determine the identities of Santa Clarita's next two council members.

"People think money equates victory, but the point is you have to get your message out," said Heidt, elected eight years ago to Santa Clarita's first City Council. "Maybe money gives people a sense of comfort."

To do well in the race, candidates need to raise about $20,000 to pay for mailers, signs and cable TV ads, said Councilwoman Jo Anne Darcy, who's not up for re-election.

And that doesn't include the $1,150 needed to place a candidate statement in sample ballots mailed to the city's 66,000 registered voters. City Clerk Donna Grindey said all but four candidates paid the voluntary fee, which covers the cost of printing and paper, which increased 20 percent this year.

If candidates can't raise a lot of money, Darcy advised teaming up with fellow candidates to produce a group flier or target certain voters with mailers. Speaking at forums and walking precincts also gives visibility to obscure candidates, Darcy said.

"I don't think money is going to be the issue," she said. "It's going to be getting the word out."

For Ferry, getting the word out means investing in billboards, brochures and a campaign office in Canyon County. The candidate has solicited money from friends, family and supporters, who stretch from California to Illinois and includes a $250 contribution from city Planning Commissioner Pat Modugno.

"It's hard raising money," said Ferry who has contributed $6,000 of his own money to the campaign. "People don't want to give money. I've been trying to use the resources that I have at hand."

That has meant knocking on doors, relying on a dedicated batch of volunteers and holding coffee klatches with voters. Ferry hopes it pays off.

To win, "you really need a combination of grass-roots campaign and raising money," he said.

Other candidates are staging unusual events to attract contributions - and votes.

Klajic plans a March 12 fund-raiser at Newhall's Plaza Theater where she will premiere an action-adventure movie called "Overkill" starring Aaron Norris (Chuck Norris' brother) and directed by Santa Clarita resident Dean Ferrandini. Klajic hopes to raise about $3,000 from the event.

"I want to win (the race) with volunteers, walking, talking having coffees and teas," Klajic said.

Heidt, whose goal is to raise $9,000 for the election, said she plans to remind voters of her eight-year track record with a series of cable TV ads, brochures and lawn signs.

"I don't think you need to raise a lot of money," said Heidt who also plans to knock on doors and phone voters.

Johnson, who still owes $2,266 from the 1992 council race that he lost, intends to raise $20,000 this year. He said candidates need to spend lots of money to reach as many voters as possible.