SAN DIEGO -- Employees of an Orange County developer have contributed at least $11,500 to the San Diego city campaigns, The San Diego Union-Tribune reported Sunday.

The Baldwin brothers, whose companies are responsible for planning and building much of the Otay Ranch community in Chula Vista, said they have no projects coming before San Diego officials.

But the Baldwin family companies, according to the newspaper, have an interest in some pending issues over which San Diego city officials have sway:

-- If the San Diego Chargers move to Chula Vista, development on Baldwin land is one strategy in the works to finance a stadium. San Diego is not directly involved in negotiations, but its support or resistance could affect the deal.

-- There is a proposal to rezone 700 acres of Otay Mesa land in San Diego to make it residential instead of industrial. That could create competition for Baldwin properties just over the city limits in Chula Vista. San Diego city officials control as much as 40 percent of the vote on the board of the San Diego Association of Governments, which steers transportation money that paves the way for development.

An official with the Baldwin-led Otay Ranch Co. said the company is interested only in good government and that none of the scenarios is a basis for its contributions.

Aside from Baldwin employees, the next-biggest bundles of corporate employee donations came from trash hauler EDCO Disposal Corp. at $6,900 and Sempra Energy at $6,400.

When the donations of family members are included, Baldwin contributions total at least $13,800, the local paper reported.

The totals were reached with the Baldwins and their employees and relatives each giving the maximum under city law of $270 for City Council races and $320 for the mayor's race in the June 3 election.

Kim John Kilkenny, executive vice president of the Otay Ranch Co., said the family opened its checkbooks because San Diego is a major force in regional politics.

"Finding quality candidates for the major player in the region is a good thing," said Kilkenny, who in 2006 was appointed by Mayor Jerry Sanders to the board of the Centre City Development Corp., the city's downtown redevelopment arm.

From their Newport Beach corporate offices, patriarchs Alfred and James Baldwin lead a network of development companies including the Otay Ranch Co.

The elder Baldwins and their spouses, children and employees, through at least six different company names, have donated to Sanders and other Republicans in three City Council races, and to Democrat Todd Gloria in District 3.

Candidates who have benefited from the Baldwin money say they were not aware of the family wanting to influence any particular decision. Two of the candidates said they didn't realize the Baldwins donated to their campaigns.

"It may be easier to keep up with who is donating if you're running in a smaller city," said Councilwoman Toni Atkins, who cannot seek re-election this year because of term limits.

Atkins said she usually tried to trace collections of checks from one source to determine what city issue might be behind them.

Sanders, whose campaign received $4,800 from the Baldwins in 2005 and $3,520 last year, said he has never spoken with the Baldwins.

"If one of them were to walk in right now, I wouldn't know them," Sanders said. He said he has talked with Kilkenny, but not about Baldwin projects.

City Council candidate April Boling, who has received $3,240 from the Baldwin bloc, said developers such as the Otay Ranch Co. probably just want San Diego to clean up its books because the city's past troubles have a chilling effect on financing for projects countywide.

"Financial institutions on the East Coast don't distinguish between San Diego and Chula Vista. To them, it's all Enron by the Sea," Boling said, borrowing a nickname bestowed on the city by The New York Times.

City Council candidate Carl DeMaio's campaign received $3,240 from the Baldwins. DeMaio said he has never met them and will not do any favors for them if he is elected.

Other top donors to city campaigns, by groups, included:
-- UC San Diego, $9,900

-- The city of San Diego, $8,300

-- EDCO Disposal Corp. $6,900

-- Sempra Energy $6,400

-- Epsilon Systems Solutions Inc., $6,300

-- The state of California, $6,200

-- Black Mountain Ranch LLC, $6,100

-- Ace Parking Management Inc., $5,900

-- San Diego County, $5,500