The two candidates for mayor in Canmore have come out with different perspectives and approaches to campaign financing for the upcoming municipal election.
Incumbent John Borrowman has committed to publishing a list of donations over $200 before the Oct. 21 election day, to accept only individual contributions from residents of Canmore and limit donations to $500 per person.
“My campaign spending target will be much the same as last year, which was approximately $6,000,” he said in a written statement to the Outlook. “I will be limiting contributions to personal contributions only (no corporate donations), and accept a maximum of $500 per person. I will publish a list, prior to the election, of any supporters who have donated more than $200. As well, I will only accept contributions from people who have a residence in Canmore.
“I wish all candidates the best in the coming election.”
Challenger Hans Helder had a different take on the issue. Helder noted there is a clear legislated requirement for disclosure through a formal statement after the election in accordance with the local government elections act and he will follow that process.
“I prefer not to release my list of donors prior to an election campaign because I don’t want the names on the list to influence people one way or another in terms of … they don’t like who it is or they like who it is, I want them to make up their own mind,” Helder said.
The requirements under the legislation state if a candidate’s entire campaign is funded out of their own pocket and does not exceed $10,000 they are not required to open a bank account or file a disclosure statement. Candidates that accept donations for a campaign must file a disclosure statement before March 1 following the general election.
The issue of campaign financing for the mayor’s seat in Canmore has been a topic in the community recently after an email trying to raise a substantial amount of money for Helder.
Developer Blair Richardson sent the email on Aug. 8, seeking to raise $100,000 for Helder’s campaign.
But Richardson said soon after it was sent, he realized there was a typo in the dictation and the fundraising goal should have read $10,000 – an error that could have serious implications for Helder’s campaign.
“(Helder) and I have been friends for a long time, I have a lot of respect for him; he is a problem solver and he has done a very good job on council,” Richardson said in an interview with the Outlook on Aug. 27.
“I think he is the person for the moment and he told me he needed $10,000 to $12,000. There was an email dictation typo in that email and I have sent a correction out. It should have read $10,000, not $100,000.”
Helder said he is confident the voters of Canmore will decide the mayoral race based on more than just an email sent in error.
“The content of the email was not something that I was aware of until after it had been distributed to certain parties,” he said. “The $100,000 number was not a number that I ever came up with, or a number I would ever expect to spend on a mayoral campaign, or a number I would endorse.
“It just isn’t anywhere near realistic for a mayoral campaign of a community of this size and doesn’t make any sense.
“I think people are pretty practical and reasonable and they won’t make decisions based upon one piece of information; they will look at the entire campaign and the entire message that is being communicated to them and they will make the appropriate decision.
“I have way too much respect for the electorate to think this is going to be something that is influential in their thinking that somehow they would believe their vote can be purchased.”
