Rookie candidates spent significantly more than incumbents in their attempt to win a Red Deer city council seat last October.
The highest campaign expenses and contributions from the Oct. 18 municipal election show that first-timers to the election ring spent thousands of dollars.
A staff report going forward to today’s city council meeting for information indicates that longtime provincial union representative Dianne Wyntjes acquired the most in contributions and expenses — at $21,723.
Of that she had $14,807 in donations, with the majority of those over $100. The remainder came from donations in-kind, fundraising and self-contributions.
Wyntjes came in third out of 16 candidates.
Paul Harris’s campaign amounted to just over $17,725 in contributions and expenses.
The downtown businessman grabbed the eighth and final spot on council after running a campaign without election signs, instead focusing on social media.
New councillor Chris Stephan, a city lawyer and businessman, ran campaign contributions and expenses totalling $8,000 and of that he contributed $7,600 himself.
Realtor Clarence Torgerson was the only candidate across Red Deer, including public and Catholic school trustee candidates, who saw his total campaign contributions (just over $13,000) exceed his expenses ($12,243).
He donated his campaign surplus of just over $800 to a registered charity.
Torgerson didn’t get a seat on council.
The Local Authorities Elections Act requires that any candidates who have a surplus from their campaign budget must donate it to a registered charity or if elected, set it aside to the next campaign.
Gail Parks was the only incumbent unseated in the municipal election after coming in ninth place. She self-funded her campaign, totalling $8,200 .
Mayoralty candidate Hilary Penko ran a self-funded campaign, spending nearly $580. Morris Flewwelling, elected for his third mayoralty term, had a campaign contribution and expense budget of nearly $2,980. Of that, just over $1,970 was self-funded with the rest coming from donations in kind.
Here’s what other rookie candidates campaign budgets were for 2010: Matt Chapin — $15, Jason Chilibeck — $7,077, Jeffrey Dawson — $7,227, TerryLee Ropchan — fully self-funded so no disclosure required, Jim Watters — $2,300, Calvin Yzerman — $709.
Incumbents’ campaign budgets for the 2010 election: Buck Buchanan — $1,048, Cindy Jefferies — $1,692, Lynne Mulder — $886, Tara Veer — $2,388; Frank Wong — $776.
Information on public and Catholic school trustees is also provided in report.
To find the data, go online at www.reddeer.ca and look for the April 18 agenda under the Council Meetings heading.
ltester@www.reddeeradvocate.com