Campaign Finances Coming
Posted by auroracitizen on February 16, 2011
The campaign financing deadline for disclosing political contributions is March 25.
Citizens will be able to evaluate what they think is appropriate and what is not?
They will also be able to see what type of financial support each candidate received and in many cases where that financial support came from. Always an interesting review.
Early in the campaign there was discussion about donations from developers and the potential role or influence they might play. At that time it was noted that both Morris and Kean had previously accepted donations, but were not planning to this term. Clowater saw no issue with accepting them and Dawe indicated he did not plan to to accept them.
In fact, Dawe went one step further, and indicated that if someone on his team did inadvertently accept a donation, he would return it and donate a matching amount personally to the Aurora Food Pantry. You can his original pledge and the comments here.
The list of reports filed thus far are available on the Town website and can be seen by clicking here.
Aurora Citizen 
C. Sorley said
I keep checking back to the Town site for further filings. There have been none for some time. This isn’t high finance, why would most wait until the final days to do their filings. Surely they know what they received and spent long ago. However, I hear that some candidates, although having incurred expenses, have yet to pay them – for shame.
Christopher Watts said
I’ve been doing the same, and agree it’s the same names for the past month.
The deadline is apparently tomorrow.
Are we going to see a rush of filings? Or does the town have them but haven’t got around to them because they are too busy posting silly notices on their facebook page?
Anonymous said
Where are they located – I did a search and couldn’t find anything…
Anonymous said
Who does the Facebook posts and tweets?
Robert the Bruce said
“This isn’t high finance, why would most wait until the final days to do their filings.”
Simple answer… Because they can. Why do people who have to pay income tax wait until April 30?
Fuimus
Anonymous said
Robert
I might agree with you if someone here owed something financially upon filing. Theoretically one can, but note how, as an example, the ex mayor’s spouse contributed (down to the penny) what her shortfall was. The Municipal Act requires one to pay a surplus to the Clerk of the town. No one did, and no one quite frankly should. So your logic is failed. Many people may not file taxes until April 30th if they owe money, why would they? But here no one owes money upon filing. The obligation to report arises out of having run for public office and being required to do so, (you know that “open and transparent” diatribe). Your use of the word “simple”, as an off the cuff disclaimer/explanaion, therefore has no basis in fact, it reflects only upon your thinking.
P.S. Now that they have reported I will be interested to see if they have all paid their outstanding bills that they claim as expenses (only 5 months after the expenses were incurred)
C Sorley said
Sorry Robert, et al,
The Anonymous posting of March 26 10:19 pm was mine. I am not a big fan of Anonymous posts, I will live with what I say – merely an oversight…
Carry on
Sorley
Robert the Bruce said
Chris… I was not trying to tie the fact that paying of income taxes and the filing are the same as far as the payment of funds. Simply stating that deadlines are established and people have a natural leaning towards waiting until the last minute – that’s why it was “simple” for me.
If there is some advantage to filing before the deadline, I am sure you would see people take advantage of it. What is the advantage to candidates to file before the deadline?
Fuimus
Nigel Kean said
Just a quick note, I never accepted any donations from developers. I never said I did and I never did accept any. In fact during the last election I sent back app. $1500.00 to developers who had sent them to me unsolicited.
auroracitizen said
Nigel, since you have indicated that our facts are incorrect you have forced us to respond with additional facts.
The following are all taken from your financial statements as submitted to the town and signed by you. So we are assuming they are factual and you do not dispute the facts contained.
It clearly shows in the 2006 financial statements signed by you March 1, 2007 that you received a $300 donation from GTWS, 5045 Orbitor Rd, Mississauga.
The also sent cheques to Morris for $300 and Jones for $500 — sort of like a developer hedging their bets.
Would not the Greater Toronto Sewer and Watermain Contractors Association be considered a developer? If not, what do you consider a developer?
Or did you simply not realize what GTWS stood for and who you were accepting the money from? Possibly a simple oversite on your part.
Now, since you made us dig out the financial statements from prior years to support our initial comments, we also made another interesting observation.
In the previous election you declared $5536 in total donations — $1532 from 5 named contributors outside Aurora, $2200 from 14 named Aurora addresses, plus an additional $1804 from unnamed people who donated less than or equal to $100.
You spent a total of $8875.81 — you personally funded $3250.
In the most recent election you received total donations of $3125. Cash donations of $1275 — $750 from 1 named donor outside Aurora, $425 from 3 named donors with Aurora addresses. None of which were contributors in 2006. Plus $800 from 3 companies ($450 from 1 company outside Aurora)
You also held a fund raiser which raised $565.
You spent a total of $8982.78 — you personally funded $6150.
In summary, 2006 you spent $8875.81 — you personally funded $3250
In 2010 you spent $8982.78 (virtually the same amount as 2006) yet you personally funded $6150 — almost double.
Obviously financial support was down considerably. Possibly you should have analyzed your financial support as an indication of voter support prior to running this term. You would have saved yourself time and money.
Anonymous said
Oh snap!
Making Plans for Nigel said
Nigel’s whole future is as good as sealed.
Brian Duff said
Yeah! I spent more than somebody!
Mr. Spock said
“…Mr Spock is quite right…”
Now now then, did you really expect anything other than that?
Anonymous said
Jim Abrams really gave it a good go, didn’t he?
I can’t wait for the rest to be posted. Please post a reminder when they’re all in. It will make some interesting reading, I’m sure.
Anonymous said
Am I dreaming or did I not see a Jim Abrams election sign up at the SW corner of Aurora Heights & Yonge St?
I believe it was blue red and white.
I didn’t see any more than this one, but it doesn’t look like he declared any in his documentation.
I’m pretty sure he had leaflets too.
Did all of this stuff just materialize out of thin air?
Mr. Spock said
“…The campaign financing deadline for disclosing political contributions is February 2…”
Huh?
From the Municipal Elections Act 1996:
Filing dates and reporting periods
77. For the purposes of documents to be filed under section 78,
(a) the filing date is,
(i) in the case of a regular election, the last Friday in March following the election, and
(ii) in the case of a by-election, 60 days after voting day;
(b) the supplementary filing date is the last Friday in September; and
(c) the supplementary reporting period is,
(i) in the case of a regular election, the six-month period following the year of the election, and
(ii) in the case of a by-election, the six-month period following the 60th day after voting day.
2009, c. 33, Sched. 21, s. 8 (40).
http://www.e-laws.gov.on.ca/html/statutes/english/elaws_statutes_96m32_e.htm
That would make the final filing day March 25.
As to “…Early in the campaign there was discussion about donations from developers and the potential role or influence they might play…” if any of you seriously believe than any candidate, or indeed anyone at all would “sell their soul” to a developer for $750, you must have a pretty dim view of human nature, and in my opinion your views on the subject are, well, let’s just say are “straining the limits of credible reasoning”.
auroracitizen said
Mr Spock is quite right. There was a misprint in the original post — which has now been corrected.
From the town’s website; “Anyone who put their name forward for municipal council in 2010 needs to submit their statements to the clerk’s office no later than 2 p.m. Fri., March 25.”
Thanks to our readers for keeping us on our toes 🙂