Campaign complaint against Annunziata withdrawn
Sandy Annunziata needed about 10 minutes to convince Niagara Region’s compliance audit committee — and the complainant — there was nothing out of line in his election campaign spending last fall.
The committee was looking into a complaint by one of the directors of the citizen’s group A Better Niagara over billboard advertising he purchased. The complaint said Annunziata declared an in-kind donation of a billboard in Fort Erie from Victor Salvatori. Annunziata set the fair market value of this donation at $400 on his campaign finance forms.
Dennis Edell told the committee records indicate Annunziata’s campaign spending total was $9,974.91. That figure was just under the $10,000 limit that triggers a thirdparty audit.
“While I appreciate the work A Better Niagara does … the irony is not lost on me that they want me to inflate my expenses,” Annunziata said.
Annunziata lost his bid for reelection to regional council by 291 votes to Tom Insinna, 3,783 to 3,492.
Edell addressed the three-person committee, which was led by chair Larry Peebles, first.
He said his research showed a comparable billboard agreement from either of the two leading suppliers in Niagara, Lamar Outdoor Advertising and Pattison Outdoor Advertising, would be in the $1,200 to $1,500 range for a month.
Annunziata explained the billboard in question was sublet from Salvatori for 21 days and that he didn’t deal directly with the billboard supplier, in this case, Lamar. Subletting for a period shorter than a month reduced the cost. Furthermore, the savings was compounded because Salvatori was long-term Lamar customer and received a better rate.
Salvatori pro-rated the cost for the month and billed Annunziata without a markup.
Annunziata said he had the same arraignment with Salvatore in 2014.
“There is no value to the billboard once the polls close, so it doesn’t make a lot of sense to enter into an agreement for one or two months.”
The Municipal Elections Act 1996 requires each municipality and school board in Ontario to establish a compliance audit. Residents who believe a candidate or third-party advertiser has broken campaign finance rules can apply to the committee for an audit.
When Annunziata finished, Peebles asked Edell if he still wanted to proceed. After a brief discussion, Edell agreed to withdraw the complaint.
As the hearing concluded, Annunziata interrupted and said he found it “strange” the complaint could be withdrawn before the committee issued a ruling.
Peebles mollified Annunziata by suggesting the complaint be marked as withdrawn with “no reasonable grounds to proceed.”
Annunziata then left the room via the rear door. He replied to a request for a comment on the proceedings with a sneer.