Katz collected almost $3.6 million over the same period - June 8 to Oct. 18. That was enough to keep him competitive with Street, particularly where it matters most in the closing stages of a campaign - on TV.

The candidates' fund-raising reports for that period, made public yesterday, provided further evidence that this mayor's race is by far the most expensive in Philadelphia history.

Overall, since the candidates began raising money in earnest last year, Street has collected about $8.2 million and Katz nearly $6 million.

The two have had about the same amount available to spend on the general-election campaign because Street spent more than Katz during a closely contested spring primary. Katz had no opposition in the GOP primary.

The latest fund-raising puts both candidates well ahead of the previous record for a mayor's race - the $5.2 million raised by Edward G. Rendell in 1991 in his second campaign for mayor.

It also puts total spending on this year's race, including the May primary, which featured a five-candidate Democratic contest, at roughly $23 million and rising - again, easily a record for Philadelphia.

That figure could climb to $25 million when contributions over the last two weeks of the campaign are added.

Street's top two individual donors during the most recent reporting period were major supporters last spring of Marty Weinberg, one of Street's opponents in the Democratic primary.

They were Arnold Katz, an insurance executive from King of Prussia, who gave Street $50,000, and William Howell, a New York financier, who contributed $46,000.

Other top Street donors include Ballard, Spahr, Andrew & Ingersoll, a major Center City law firm headed by longtime Rendell associate David L. Cohen. The firm gave $60,000.

A political action committee associated with Commerce Bank gave $50,000. A PAC associated with State Sen. Vincent J. Fumo (D., Phila.) also gave $50,000. Rendell's fund-raising committee gave $40,000.

Katz got help from Gov. Ridge, who beat Katz and several others in the 1994 Republican gubernatorial primary. Ridge's campaign fund gave Katz $50,000 earlier this month, and the Republican State Committee chipped in $25,000 last week. Ridge had previously contributed $35,000 to Katz.

Other top Katz donors included Warren Musser, chairman of Safeguard Scientific Inc. ($105,000); John Haas, retired chairman of Rohm & Haas Inc. ($100,000); Sidney Kimmel, head of the Jones New York apparel company ($100,000); and Stephen Kendall, an executive at Aluminum Shapes Inc. ($75,000).

Kimmel's most recent donation brings his contributions to Katz during the mayoral campaign to $200,000.

By law, beginning Monday the mayoral campaigns must disclose, on a daily basis, all contributions of $500 or more received since Oct. 18.

Street's press secretary, Ken Snyder, said Street would report an additional $500,000 in fund-raising on Monday.

Bob Barnett, Katz's campaign director, said the Republican had raised a "substantial amount" since Oct. 18 but said he did not know exactly how much.

While Katz has raised somewhat less than Street, his campaign has managed to keep pace when it comes to TV advertising.

Street's campaign booked $873,000 in air time time with the city's four network affiliates for the final two weeks of the campaign. Katz had reserved $937,000.

Katz's report showed that he had the biggest individual donations, from people such as Kimmel.

But Katz, for the first time, also had many more small contributions than Street did.

The Republican reported raising $18,246 in contributions of $50 or less, triple the number reported by Street.

During the June 8-Oct. 18 period, Katz also collected $174,322 in donations of more than $50 to $250, compared with $115,302 for Street.

"We have a lot of contributors. When we announced [Katz's candidacy] in December, we had almost no small contributors," said Barnett. "Since then, we've gone into a lot of neighborhoods and had a lot of parties. We've had $35 beef-and-beers and $100 parties with young professionals. We've really reached out and allowed people to become involved in the campaign."