Even though the city of Lithonia is plastered with campaign signs, three of the five candidates running for the Nov. 3 City Council race filed campaign disclosures with zero contributions and zero expenditures.

Incumbent Al Franklin and challengers Hassan Abdullah and William “Ric” Dodd reported no contributions in cash or in-kind and no expenditures on their Sept. 30 campaign disclosures.

Incumbent Marcus Lloyd had not filed his disclosures through the end of business Thursday.

So who is paying for all those campaign signs throughout the city, and for the advertising that three candidates have placed in the monthly Granite City News?

Dodd, who is on his third run for the city council, did not report the cost of his full-page ad in the Oct. 15-Nov. 15 Granite City News and he said he didn’t buy the navy-blue-and-white “Vote Ric Dodd City Council” signs.

He said he walked out the front door of his Born Street home last week Wednesday and saw the sign in his yard.

“I was shocked,” he said. “My jaw hit the floor.”

Dodd says he has no idea who made the signs and put them out, but that he is glad for the support.

“I really appreciate it,” he said. “We want change in Lithonia and I think they are saying we are going to put people in who can give us change.”

His benefactor put so many signs out that the city’s maintenance department picked up some of the illegally placed ones.

On Wednesday, there were seven Dodd signs, along with seven red and white “Marcus Lloyd City Council, Managing Our Future” signs, stored in a back corridor at city hall.

Dodd said he would be guessing if he tried to figure out who gave him the signs.

“People tell me that after the election I should just estimate the value and report it as an ‘anonymous’ donation,” he said.

If he does, he will be in violation of the state’s campaign disclosure law, which requires names and addresses of campaign donors.

Abdullah, who had a half-page ad in the Granite City News that he also did not report, said he paid about $100 for about 30 signs and 300 to 400 campaign fliers.

“I spent my own money,” he said. He said he didn’t know that he was to report when he spends his own money.

Franklin, who also did not report payment for his half-page ad in the Granite City News, filed his Sept. 30 campaign disclosure on Oct. 19. He said Wednesay that he received donations after he had filed his disclosure.

“At that time I had nothing to report,” he said. “I didn’t have anything contributed.”

He said he will report his contributions on his Oct. 25 disclosures, which he hasn’t yet filed.

Lithonia City Clerk Missye Varner said Thursday evening that she contacted Lloyd again on Thursday about his Sept. 30 disclosure and he promised to bring it on Friday.

When she called him Wednesday, in front of a reporter, he had promised to bring it on Thursday.

Only councilwoman Deborah Jackson reported raising any money on her Sept. 30 and Oct. 25 disclosures. She reported contributions of $1,302.90 and expenditures of $607.92 through Oct. 25. She reported a balance of $694.98 and debts of $500. She said she spent money on a graphic designer, on ads in the Granite City News, on printing campaign literature and on her qualifying fee for the election.

Lloyd did not return telephone calls from a reporter.