The City of Thompson has passed a bylaw that has put in place specific campaign expense and contribution limits during a municipal election - specifically, anyone running for mayor may spend up to $10,000 on their campaign, while anyone running for city council may spend up to $5,000.
City manager Randy Patrick says the provincial government changed the rules of how much can be spent this year, forcing the city to create the new bylaw.
The bylaw states that events or activities held for the purpose of raising funds for a registered candidate can be held only during the official campaign period, and the total revenue and total costs incurred for a fundraising event must be recorded and included in the registered candidate's election finance statement.
Net income made at a fundraising event is excluded from the campaign expense limitation, calculated by deducting fundraising costs from fundraising revenue. Any monetary contribution that is more than $10 from an individual into a general collection at a fundraising event must be, according to the city's bylaw, considered a contribution that is recorded and reported and excluded from the fundraising event's revenue.
The bylaw also states that registered candidates must keep records of the contributions they receive, campaign expenses incurred and loans obtained. They must also retain, for "not less than two years after the election" copies of receipts, bank statements, cheques and any other documents on which the election finance statement is based. Election finance statements must be filled by May 25, 2011 for the Oct. 27, 2010 general election, and in each byelection after that, 210 days after election day.
