Municipal campaign expenses up in 2021
Mayor Clark, former mayor Clugston each top $20,000, up about 30 per cent
The cost of campaigning is back up in Medicine Hat, according to final disclosure from a near-record number of candidates seeking a seat in local government last fall.
Two front-runners for mayor — Linnsie Clark and Ted Clugston — each raised and spent more than $20,000 in the lead-up to the Oct. 18 election, marking a 30 per cent increase from the most expensive campaign in a fairly sleepy vote in 2017.
The average cost of a winning campaign for a council seat also rose to just more than $5,000 — it was still much lower than in two of the previous three elections.
Clugston spent just under $25,000 in attempting to win a third term as mayor, but only secured about one-third the vote total of challenger Clark, whose campaign cost $20,341, and earned 13,151 votes to Clugston’s 4,639.
It was a steep rise in the financial size of campaigning for top-job at Medicine Hat city hall.
In 2017, Clugston raised and spent $16,300 in winning a second term over three “self-funded” campaigns, which by definition were limited to a $5,000 spending cap at the time.
In 2013, three mayoral candidates, including Clugston, each spent about $20,000.
Clark, who announced her intention to run in July, raised a total of $16,350 from donors, about onetenth from donations of less than $50, which are not itemized.
The largest were four $1,000 donations from local developer Joel McNally, Calgary lawyer Sarah Nycholaishen and two family members.
Clark added about $4,000 of her own money to bring her total to $20,341.
Clugston raised about that amount from 19 individuals, and added $4,700 in own funds to spend $24,750.
Clugston’s top donor was Gail Sidorsky, the wife of Lansdowne Equity Ventures head Brian Sidorsky, who gave $4,000, as did James Crawford of Okotoks. Medicine Hat’s Bill Yuill provided the incumbent $3,185.
Forms from third-place finisher Alan Rose are not among those published by the chief returning officer this month after they were due at the end of March.
Mayoral candidate Tony Leahy spent $1,627 on what he said was largely an informational campaign to draw attention to mental health issues. Michael Starner, who finished fifth, cited $2,500 in spending,
In the council race, the average cost of eight winning campaigns was $5,061 — up from $4,330 in 2017, but less than the $6,500 average eight years earlier.
Two of the biggest spenders in the crowded 33-person race placed in the bottom third when votes were counted, however.
Retired police chief Andy McGrogan, who arguably had among the most name recognition, also spent the most of any successful council candidate. His $6,680 budget was entirely self-funded, and earned him the second-most votes, 8,095.
First-time candidate Cassi Hider raised the most money of any council candidate, bringing in $5,300 and adding her own funds to spend $6,443 in total before placing No. 6 in the race where the top eight are elected.
That was the most expensive campaign of those who won a council seat.
It just beat out the $6,424 spent by first-time candidate Allison Knodel, who raised about $4,600, about one third of which came in small donations, as little at $7 through ‘micro-donations.”
At No. 5 in voting, Alison Van Dyke raised all but $300 of her $5,032 campaign that won a seat in her first campaign.
Top vote-getter Ramona Robins raised about $3,000 toward her $5,190 budget, and Shila Sharps paid most of her own $2,351 campaign with her own money.
Two councillors from last term defended their seats with campaigns that were in the middle of the pack from a financial standpoint.
Darren Hirsch raised $2,600 to fund his $3,875 campaign budget, while Robert Dumanowski raised most of the $4,500 he spent to win a seventh term.
Two incumbent councillors who placed Nos. 9 and 10 in voting, respectively, were Brian Varga, who self-funded his $1,950 campaign, and Phil Turnbull, who spent $5,472, including about $4,000 in contributions.
The highest spender who was not successful in placing top eight and winning a council seat was business owner Rocky Rutledge. He placed 23rd and stated in documents his selfsupported campaign cost $9,500, but did not include a schedule of costs.
At No. 21, Praveen Joshi raised about two thirds to fund his $6,307 in expenses.
Immanuel Moritz ($6,530) placed near the top 10, Jeremy Silver ($4,925), Justin Wright ($4,500), Kelly Allard ($4,332), whose costs were covered 40 per cent by donations.
Brian Dueck also raised about half his $4,256-bid from contributors, followed by retired deputy fire chief Brian Webster ($4,100), self-funded Paul Hemsing ($4,000) and Mandi Campbell, No. 11 in voting, at $3,350.
Also splitting costs mostly evenly between fundraising and own funds were Warren Pister ($2,645 total), Marco Jansen ($2,461), Brad Gruszie ($1,695) and Mark Asham ($1,256), followed by self-funded BIll Bergeson ($1,094), Jim Black ($900), Jay Hitchen ($403) and Stephen Campbell ($220).
There were no forms posted publicly for Roger Steven McClary or Nicholas Martin, who each collected about 600 votes, or former councillor Jim Turner, who died unexpectedly shortly after nomination day, but still collected 371 votes.