Councillor Election Expenses and Contributions Posted As Part Of Bylaw Requirements

By Robert Thomas

Although there has yet to be a final report to Council on the expenses and contributions received by candidates in the November 9th, 2020 Civic Election the councillor candidates election declarations are available if you know where to look on the City’s web-site moosejaw.ca.

Under the heading 2018 and 2016 Election Candidates Campaign Expense Disclosure Statements on moosejaw.ca’s City Council’s Meetings and Minutes page the expenses for Councillor candidates are posted.

A requirement under the Election Campaign Disclosure and Spending Limits Bylaw (Bylaw #5542) all candidates must file what they spend during a Civic election and what they receive in donations as a means to make the election transparent and keep candidates accountable. The filings, according to the Bylaw, are then posted on the City’s web-site.

Councillor candidates must file their declaration within three months following the election date and mayoralty candidates must file within four months of the election date.

The filings must record all expenses and contributions to any election campaign exceeding $200 cumulatively from one contributor. The bylaw sets spending limits to help ensure everyone has a fair economic chance at running a viable campaign and by listing the people and entities who donate to a particular candidate it is easier to hold them accountable from serving a special interest or individual.

Successful councillor candidates who fail to file with three months of the election date or lie on their disclosures can be prosecuted and if convicted they will be removed from office. Mayoralty candidates have up to four months from the election date to file their campaign return.

Unsuccessful candidates who fail to submit a campaign disclosure forfeit their campaign deposit.

This election all 15 candidates for councillor filed their campaign disclosures meaning they most likely received back their $100 deposits. The $100 deposit is part of the Bylaw, not as a financial impediment to run, but a financial means to encourage candidates to file their disclosure statements to receive a full refund.

The expenditures ranged from $0 expenses and $0 spent by candidate Dwayne St Dennis who spent the least to $7565.61 by top vote getter and now Councillor Jamey Logan.

The person or entity which gave the most money to the most candidates was the Moose Jaw Firefighter Association (MJFFA). The MJFFA gave $500 to the individual campaigns of seven candidates or $3,500. Out of seven candidates the MJFFA supported financially five were elected.

Successful Councillor Candidates Alphabetically

Councillor Doug Blanc spent $1285.98 in his election run. Those expenses included $614.78 for advertising, $254.27 for brochures and $416.93 for signs.

Councillor Blanc lists only one donation of $500 from the Moose Jaw Firefighters Association.

Councillor Doug Blanc’s Campaign Donations Declaration - source City of Moose Jaw web-site

Councillor Heather Eby spent $2741.83 on her re-election campaign of which she received campaign donations of $1970.

Councillor Eby listed expenses were $1049.84 for brochures, $212.77 for postage, $763.07 for new signs (plus $270 market value expenses), $46.15 on stationery. There was an additional $400 market value expense for advertising.

The Moose Jaw Firefighters Association donated $500 and Suer and Pollen (Mechanical) out of Saskatoon donated $500. Suer and Pollen list work on the Moose Jaw Sewage Plant on their website as one of the many government infrastructure projects they have been involved in.

Individuals donating to the Councillor Eby campaign were M. (Maureen) Simpson $300, Bryan Roach $250, Paul Spriggs $220 and R. MacLauchlan $200.

Councillor Heather Eby’s Campaign Donations Declaration - source City of Moose Jaw web-site

Councillor Crystal Froese lists expenses of $1614.69 with $1250 being donated from two sources.

Councillor Froese spent $708.18 on brochures and $472.50 for delivery. Advertising was $257.52 and $176.49 for signs.

There were only two donations totaling $1,000 listed on Councillor’s Froese declaration of $1,250 in total donations. Under the Bylaw only cumulative contributions of $200 or more must be publicly declared. Any donations under the $200 level do not have to be declared but a record must be maintained.

Councillor Froese received donations of $500 from Kathleen Froese and $500 from the Moose Jaw Firefighters Association.

Councillor Crystal Froese’s Campaign Donations Declaration - source City of Moose Jaw web-site

Councillor Jamey Logan spent the most money on his election run $7565.61 and also received the most votes and for the most part his campaign was self financed.

Councillor Logan received only $900 in declared expenses although his expense declaration does show he received some of the goods and services for his campaign at a rate lower than market rate.

Expenses included brochures at $3175.60 with an actual expense of $2,577.60, signs $3210.12 and billboards with a value of $794.54 with an actual cash expense of $394.54.

Councillor Logan’s received $500 as a donation from the Moose Jaw Fire Fighters Association as well as $400 from the Civic Centre Plaza Billboard.

Councillor Jamey Logan’s Campaign Donations Declaration - source City of Moose Jaw web-site

Councillor Dawn Luhning had election expenses of $6348.23 with $0 reported in campaign contributions. She is the only successful Council candidate without any campaign contributors.

Despite being totally self-financed Councillor Luhning provided the most detailed expense report of all of the candidates which exceeded the requirements under the Bylaw. The expense report listed the vendor, the date and what was purchased for the campaign.

Councillor Luhning spent $1,368.63 on flyers, $556.50 on a web-site, $787.50 advertising on a news web-site and 3635.60 on other advertising.

Councillor Dawn Luhning’s Campaign Donations Declaration - source City of Moose Jaw web-site

Councillor Kim Robinson spent the least of any successful councillor candidate $541.67 and received one donation for $500. In total he was personally out of pocket expenses to run for office $41.67.

Councillor Robinson lists expenses of $364.74 for signs, 83.79 for office supplies, $83.79 for brochures, $48.26 for advertising and $44.88 for meetings, social functions or rallies.

There was only one contribution listed to his campaign $500 from the Moose Jaw Firefighters Association.

Councillor Kim Robinson’s Campaign Donations Declaration - source City of Moose Jaw web-site

One thing that can be noted and that is as a civic candidate, none of the candidates may issue tax deductible receipts unlike provincial and federal election candidates.

At the present time none of the three mayoralty candidates have filed their campaign declarations as they are not due until four months following the election and are due by March 9, 2021.

Full Disclaimer - As a full disclaimer as an ordinary Moose Jaw resident the author of this story appeared at Council in 2013 and in a 10 minute presentation lobbied Council to enact the Bylaw quoted in this story as a means to help ensure fairness and accountability of Moose Jaw’s civic elected officials.