In the local world of municipal campaign finance, $100 tends to be a pretty generous contribution. There are many more in the range of $20 to $50.

And, really, how much money does a selectman or city council candidate need to run a local campaign, beyond lawn signs and brochures and maybe even some ads?

Maybe because it's a post-recession municipal election season, but the amounts donated to municipal campaigns seem even lower this year than usual.

A large number of City Council candidates in New London, for instance, didn't even file their own campaign committee reports. Instead of raising money themselves, they relied on what their party gave them.

One big exception to the small contribution rule I found was the $1,000 that a part-time resident of Stonington Borough, someone who described himself as self-employed in finance gave to Glee McAnanly, the Republican candidate for Stonington first selectman.

I looked up the Stonington reports in part because I was intrigued that the amounts that McAnanly and her opponent, incumbent Ed Haberek, have raised were so lopsided. I see now that single contribution was one reason why.

In the noisy political world of New London, the contributions may have seemed smaller in size and number this year. And yet they still provide some interesting tea leaves for reading the city's political pulse.

We all know, for instance, that Democrat Marie Friess-McSparran was, strangely enough, endorsed by city Republicans while staying a Democrat. By looking at her campaign report, we can also learn that one of her largest donors, in for $100, is a prominent one-time city Democrat, Mike Buscetto, the former candidate for mayor who has since moved to Waterford.

In fact, blurring party lines seem to be a new trend in the city.

Gordon Videll, whose law firm is suing the city on behalf of the president of the police union, has given money to both the Democratic and the Republican parties.

The Republicans endorsed Videll as a candidate for City Council this year, although he later dropped off the ticket.

In addition to his $100 contribution to the Democratic party in the last reporting period, as much as the mayor gave to his own party, he also gave $200 to Democrat Michael Passero, the union firefighter who sits on the council. That works out to more than 5 percent of the candidate's contributions that period.

One wonders if Videll's large contribution to the City Council president was in thanks for the councilor's support of the police union agenda, specifically Passero's vote against the mayor of his own party and in support of the police union's campaign to add more police dogs to the force.

The police union campaign to paint the city as under-policed and unsafe has quieted in this election period. But it was ugly all summer and it's hard to forget.

And we know it will be back soon, as the lawsuit from Videll's firm demanding money from the city unfolds.

Other New London candidates with a large number of individual donors include Republicans Keith Robbins and Martin Olsen, who only got on the Republican ticket after threatening a primary.

Many of the Robbins contributions came from individuals who live outside the city.

The Olsen contributions, on the other hand, came in small numbers from a wide variety of city residents, and also from individuals in both parties.

In fact, if I had to wage a guess about the outcome of next week's voting in New London based on campaign finance reports, I would say Olsen is going to be a top vote-getter.

His campaign chest indicates steady and broad support across the city.

This is the opinion of David Collins.