Mayor loses bid to ban union, corporate donations
Previous council also rejected idea of ban on donations during municipal campaigns
Mayor Charlie Clark’s bid to move toward a ban on corporate and union donations in municipal elections fell short in a confusing process described as a “gong show.”
City council on Tuesday narrowly defeated two initiatives intended to endorse a ban on corporate and union donations to municipal election candidates and to seek the authority to set such rules from the provincial government.
Several councillors objected to voting on the issue, since the previous council rejected a ban on donations from corporations and unions.
“This is a gong show,” Coun. Bev Dubois said amid confusion over voting. “This is embarrassing.”
Council first voted 6-5 to reject endorsing the idea of a ban on union and corporate donations. Although Coun. Cynthia Block voted against the ban, she stressed she had not made her final decision on the issue.
Council then voted 6-5 against continuing to pursue conversations with the provincial government and the Saskatchewan Urban Municipalities Association to seek the authority to ban union and corporate donations.
Coun. Zach Jeffries had voted in favour of the ban, as he did when council previously voted on the issue on Jan. 25, 2016. However, he then voted against efforts to seek the authority from the province, while Block voted in favour of this.
Coun. Randy Donauer, who spoke against the ban, asked council to imagine how the province would react if council asked for approval to pursue the donation ban when it has already been rejected.
“I think we would be laughed at,” Donauer said.
Donauer, Coun. Darren Hill and Coun. Troy Davies spoke against banning corporate donations.
“These businesses in Saskatoon pay property taxes,” Donauer said.
Clark made the unusual move of stepping out of the mayor’s chair in order to pursue a vote on donations. Davies, this month’s deputy mayor, chaired that part of the meeting.
Clark said in his dozen years on council he could not recall the mayor relinquishing the chair as he did on Tuesday.
Clark said voting on a ban on union and corporate donations was consistent with his position when council previously voted on the issue. However, he admitted confusion over the implications of council’s previous vote on the matter in 2016.
The issue arose again Tuesday amid a slew of recommendations from the municipal review commission, a body appointed by council to provide advice and recommendations on various issues like campaign spending.
Hill questioned why the commission brought back its recommendation on union and corporate donations, as well as one seeking a ban on donations from outside the province.
“I thank you for your work, but I question why we’re seeing these again,” Hill said to commission chairman Paul Jaspar at Tuesday ’s meeting.
The commission’s recommendations note corporate and union donations are being banned at the federal and provincial levels throughout the country.
City hall administration endorsed most of the recommendations from the commission, including adopting simpler language for the rules regarding election signs and fundraising events. Council also voted to endorse these.
Council deferred voting until next month on a longer term for the election returning officer and adding a permanent elections employee to the city clerk’s office until more financial information can be provided.