Months after the votes were tallied and successful candidates took their oaths of office, Elections BC has released how much was spent on and received for the 2022 elections on the Sunshine Coast.
The data published on Feb. 2 reveals that Sechelt mayor John Henderson spent and received the most contributions than any other candidate in the 2022 elections on the lower Sunshine Coast.
Totals
In the District of Sechelt, where 17 candidates ran for election, the total income among them was $47.736.24 while the total expenditures was $44,629.64, according to Elections BC.
Town of Gibsons’s 11 candidates spent a total of $29,455.47 in expenditures, while receiving $17,151.85.
Note: Sechelt candidate Anna Jade Chen was included in Election BC’s list of 87 candidates who did not file their disclosure statements by the Jan. 13 deadline. As of Feb. 3, her disclosure was not included in Election BC’s reports. The late filing deadline is Feb. 13, and the late fee is $500.
The Sunshine Coast Regional District (SCRD) only saw one race among the rural directors, as incumbents and two newcomers were acclaimed. Justine Gabias, who was elected to represent Halfmoon Bay (Area B), reported that her expenses were $1,354.87 and campaign contributions totalled $1,425.
The campaign contribution limit per individual was $1,250 in 2022.
Sechelt disclosures
Expense limits in Sechelt’s election during the campaign period were set at $11,848.68 for mayoral candidates and $5,924.34 for councillor candidates. (These limits are based on the office and population of the electoral area.)
In his bid to return to the mayor’s seat, Sechelt mayor John Henderson was both the candidate who received the most in contributions and spent the most across all of the Sunshine Coast’s 2022 general elections. His disclosure shows he had a total income of $13,449 (from 32 contributors, $2,000 from Henderson himself, plus $99 in unnamed contributions) and $12,199.42 in total expenditures. (These totals, however, are notably lower than the more than the $27,000 Bruce Milne spent in the previous election of 2018, while the successful mayoral candidate Darnelda Siegers spent around $14,900.)
Of the four mayoral candidates, Jeri Patterson followed with a total of $6,740.31 in expenses and $6,950 in income ($2,500 contributed by herself). Three people contributed the maximum allowed amount of $1,250 to Patterson. Siegers spent a total of $5387.27 — less than half of her 2018 expenses — which she received from 14 contributors (a total of $1,597.27 from herself, and an additional $150 from anonymous contributors). Allan Holt’s disclosure statement reported a total expenditure of $2,060.44 in his run for the mayor’s seat.
Of the council candidates, all but one spent more than half of the permitted amount of expenses. Christopher Moore’s expenses led the way with $4139.76, and he received $5,200 (contributing $100 himself). Adam Shepherd’s expenses were $2903.96, and his income $3,160. Dianne McLauchlan reported spending a total of $2,440.02, while her income was $2,752.36 ($2,521.00 from herself). Micky Argiropoulos’s reported income was $2,550 and she spent $2,265.76. She contributed $1,200. Warren Allan spent $2,507.58 of his $2,535.72 income ($1,687.96 was contributed by Allan himself). Alton Toth’s expenses were $2,370.75 of his $2,420 incoming contributions (including $250 from himself). Brenda Rowe reported spending a total of $1,420.62 from an income total of $1,450 (including $1,250 from herself). Thomas Bramble’s expenses totalled $620.18, and his income was $761.09 ($461.09 contributed himself). Tim Horner’s expenses were $534.89 from an income of $549.30 ($400 from himself). Cheryl Chang’s income was $250 and she spent $320.88. Donna Bell spent $345.24 in her successful run. She received a total of $100 in contributions. Darren Inkster reported his expenses as $221.50, and his income as $200.
Walter Tripp and Luke Gordon also filed $0, but both withdrew their candidacy from the Sechelt election.
Shepherd, McLauchlan, Toth, Rowe, Inkster and Bell were ultimately voted onto Sechelt council.
Gibsons disclosures
For the 2022 election, the expense limit during the campaign period in Gibsons was $10,797.83 for mayoral candidates and $5,398.92 for councillor candidates.
Out of Gibsons candidates, Phil Yeung spent the most with a total of $10,923.50. He reported a total income of $0. Meanwhile Mayor Silas White spent $3,381.24 ($8,818.18 less than Sechelt’s mayor) in his successful run for office, and his income was $2,675. The third mayoral candidate for the town, Leslie Thomson, spent $1,571.51 and had a total income recorded at $1,548.65.
Of the councillor candidates, Christi Thompson spent the most with her expenses totalling $3,537.1 and her income reported at $3,750. Greig Soohen’s expenses were $2,980.71, and his total income was $3,083.35. David Croal’s expenses totalled $1,290.29. Annemarie De Andrade spent $1,982.67 and her income was $2,023.55. Blake MacLeod reported his expenses as 1050.01, and his income as $1,250.01. Stafford Lumley and Desmond Delaney spent less than $1,000 each as their expenses totalled $743.15 and $705 respectively. Bob Morris reported $0 for both expenses and income in his disclosure statement.
On Oct. 15, Thompson, Croal, De Andrade and Lumley were elected to council.
With files from Sean Eckford
Please note this story has been updated to clarify some discrepancies between information provided by Elections BC and what was reported by candidates.
