Sidney mayoral candidate Steve Duck spent the most in his bid for the top job on the municipal council — but not by much, and the overall spending record almost mirrors the tight race in last November’s civic election.
Duck, who placed fourth in a five-person race with 674 votes, spent $14,947.70, according to the campaign finance disclosure statements released by Elections B.C. on Feb. 23.
Steve Price, who with 1,312 votes became Sidney’s new mayor, was second-highest in spending at $13,428.34. Former mayor Don Amos spent $11,095 on his campaign, coming third with only 706 votes.
Cliff McNeil-Smith spent $9,321.90 in a second place finish with 1,180 votes.
In North Saanich, Mayor Alice Finall was returned to her chair with 2,416 votes, slightly edging out challenger Dorothy Hartshorne, who garnered 2,258. Hartshorne led the way in campaign spending, however, at $12,402.05. Finall only spent around half of that: $7,023.70.
Mayoral candidate Peter Miller, who withdrew from the election but not early enough to have his name dropped from the ballot in North Saanich, spent $555.71 and received 62 votes.
Central Saanich’s new mayor, Ryan Windsor, spent $9,264.68 on his campaign effort, easily outpacing former mayor Jack Mar in spending ($475.04) and votes (2,998 to 1,955).
David Shebib, who ran for mayor in all three Saanich Peninsula municipalities — and across Greater Victoria — reported raising no donations and spending nothing on his campaign.
Among elector organizations Team North Saanich — representing the campaigns of Craig Mearns, Conny McBride, Stephen Pearce, Jack McClintock and Dunstan Browne — spent $44,415.95. Of that, $25,000 was contributed by the candidates themselves — the most, $20,800, from Mearns. In return, Mearns received just over $19,900 for his campaign from the elector organization. In his disclosure statement, Mearns listed no contributors other than himself and Team North Saanich.
The only Team North Saanich candidate to be elected was McClintock.
The local elections disclosure statements list the donors to each mayoral and councillor candidate’s campaign and the amounts they contributed. Spending, too, is itemized. The documents are available to the public and can be found at elections.bc.ca/lecfa.