Editor's note: CORRECTION TO STORYDue to an error in reading the financial disclosure statements for Sechelt Mayor John Henderson, the wrong donation amount was credited to Gina Stockwell. Her donation to the campaign was $170. The amount attributed to Stockwell in the Coast Reporter story March 30 page 4 (and published below) $10,731 was a donation by Henderson to his own campaign.Coast Reporter sincerely regrets the error and offers apologies to Gina Stockwell as well as Mayor Henderson.
The campaign financing statements for the 2011 municipal election have now been filed and it appears money may have made a difference in the mayor's race in Sechelt.
Of the mayoralty candidates elected, Mayor John Henderson spent the most at $18,079.92. Former mayor Darren Inkster spent $8,705.35, Douglas Smith spent $5,580.19 and Ed Steeves spent $3,307.86.
Henderson raised a total of $18,182.69 in election contributions, the largest single donation coming from his campaign manager Gina Stockwell, who donated $10,731.09. (SEE CORRECTION NOTICE AT THE TOP OF THE STORY)
Henderson spent $5,982.50 on advertising, $5,461.49 on signs and brochures, $528.64 on courier services and $638.59 on office supplies. Henderson also reported he spent $2,800 on legal services and $781.20 on training.
There was $102.77 left in Henderson's campaign account, which was transferred to the candidate.
Inkster had a fund of $10,250.70 to work with in the election. Individual contributions accounted for $7,277.01 with the largest donations coming from Allen Gawley. Gawley gave on three occasions to contribute a total of $5,825.45.
Organizations that donated to Inkster's campaign included 621870 BC Ltd., Trail Bay Printers and The Local. The Local gave $224 to the campaign, Trail Bay Printers gave $749.75 and the numbered company owned by Peter Kwong gave $2,000.
Inkster spent $4,890.93 on advertising and $3,374.30 on signs and pamphlets. He also spent $100 on childcare and $107.40 on a thank-you dinner.
Inkster had $1,507 left over in his campaign account, which he transferred to the District of Sechelt to hold in trust for him until the next election.
Smith netted $1,995 in contributions for his campaign, but spent $5,580.19. Smith received several donations between $200 and $250 from several private citizens. Smith spent $2,758.71 on advertising, $2,094.39 on signs and pamphlets and $642.72 on courier services.
Steeves financed his own campaign with $4,500, spending only $3,307.86 of that amount. He spent $1,762.98 on advertising, $1,455.75 on signs and $83 on transportation.
Councillors
Council candidates who made the cut spent between $1,000 and $5,000 on their campaigns.
Mike Shanks spent the least with a campaign budget of $1,360.20 coming from his own wallet. Shanks spent $583.86 on advertising and $776.34 on signs.
Doug Hockley also funded his own campaign, spending a total of $1,704.53. He spent $759.30 on advertising, $755.23 on signs, $50 for meeting expenses and $140 on transportation.
Darnelda Siegers spent $2,522.70 and most of the funding came from Siegers herself. She spent $833.67 on advertising, $1,346.13 on signs and $336 on coaching for the position of councillor.
Alice Lutes spent $3,685.47 on her campaign in the 2011 municipal election. A total of $618.17 was transferred into Lutes' account from a surplus she saw in the last municipal election. The largest portion of her campaign fund came from a $2,000 donation from CUPE (Canadian Union of Public Employees) B.C. National and a $500 contribution from CUPE Local 801. The Canadian Labour Council also gave $326.68 in in-kind support to Lutes.
She spent $1,815.31 on advertising, $709.68 on signs and $760.48 on postage. She also paid $400 to others for their campaign work on her behalf.
Chris Moore spent $4,315.46 on his campaign. The money came from 23 contributors who each gave $300 or less.
Moore spent $1,059.30 on advertising, $2,199.93 on signs and $577.11 on courier services. In the end $184.54 remained in the campaign account and it was transferred to Moore.
Tom Lamb spent $4,493.08 on his campaign, footing the bill himself. Lamb spent $1,144.64 on advertising and $1,520.35 on signs. He also paid $848 to people who did campaign work for him and spent $484 on coaching.
Of the councillor candidates who didn't win a seat on council, Mary Bittroff spent the least, claiming $108.94 on gas and a box of hair dye and incumbent Alice Janisch spent the most at $2,600.88. Janisch spent $1,453.28 on advertising and $1,083.60 on signs.
The full financial disclosure statements are available for public viewing at the District of Sechelt.
