Pre-election Disclosure
All candidates were challenged to sign the AUMA Local Democracy Pledge to “promote fair and transparent municipal elections, free from undue partisan or financial influences”. I signed on in June and explained what my commitment means. At least four other St. Albert candidates have signed this pledge, and I encourage residents to challenge all municipal candidates to explain how they will live the values of transparency and accountability. With voting starting on Monday in advance polls, the following is my to-date donor disclosure:
Donations & personal funding
Donations haven’t been a priority for me as I’m running a lean campaign, but every dollar helps offset costs to get the word out about the election and about my priorities! For a look at what 2017 contributions looked like, my post about 2017 election fundraising is still live.
Donations over $50:
Joshua Thomas - $250
Linda Mikus - $100
Deirdre Allen - $100
Tony Lake - $100 (This is our retired Director of Public Works & Transit!)
Wayne Bennett - $100
Daryl Nixon - $100
Shane Leppky - $75
Donations ≤$50: I received five donations totaling $200.
In lieu: I already had a few supplies - like sign supplies, buttons, etc. - which I contributed to my 2021 campaign. These amount to about $1,000 in contributions.
Personal contributions: I’ll cover any costs in excess of donations. If there are funds left over at the end of the campaign, I will donate the balance to SAIF.
Expenses
I’m running a lean campaign this time around. Feedback I received about both flyers & signs in 2017 was that residents prefer as little as possible, so I’m reaching out in different ways.
Signs: $1,089.46 (I still have a few left for lawns - I’m humbled by all those able to show support in this way!)
Stationary: $52.00
Bank fees: There are fees associated with opening a campaign account and accepting donations via credit card. They’re fairly negligible.
Advertisements: About $30 as of this writing, but might spend a bit more in the last couple of days.
