Phil Tank: Saskatoon council hopefuls may be putting campaigns at risk

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If a candidate for Saskatoon city council has already dropped off a pamphlet at your house, that person could be found guilty of breaking the law.

As Saskatoon city clerk Adam Tittemore reminded folks last week, there are some rules to running for city council and, specifically, spending on a campaign.

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I asked about the rules after seeing one declared council candidate post a photo on social media from door knocking while holding pamphlets, another post a photo of pamphlets and yet another promote a campaign website.

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Potential candidates can legally raise money for their campaigns right now, but they are technically not allowed to spend it until June 1.

People are allowed to spend now on printing signs and pamphlets or booking facilities, provided that none of those elements are used prior to June 1. So you can spend money on designing a website, but that site cannot go live until the campaign period starts after May 31.

The penalties for contravening this bylaw can include disqualifying a candidate from holding office, so prospective hopefuls should pay attention.

If found guilty, people can also be fined. And, if you’re thinking these are the typical city hall fines like $50 for, say, offences like jaywalking or hitchhiking, think again.

Anyone found to be violating the bylaw can face a fine of up to $5,000 and an additional $5,000 a day. And someone found guilty may also be required to pay for the cost of the investigation. That adds up.

If those penalties seem harsh, consider that the people campaigning for a spot on Saskatoon city council are essentially applying to become a board member of a billion-dollar corporation.

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If those same people could not be bothered to read the basic rules governing bids for council seats, which are readily available, then they probably fall far short of deserving your vote.

Sadly, a few of those who have declared their intention to run for council spend too much time reading about and spreading conspiracy theories online.

If residents want to make a complaint about actions they feel violate the election spending bylaw or if potential candidates want more information, they should contact the city clerk’s office. City council has appointed an independent officer to investigate complaints.

But, in this digital age, some may find ways to skirt the bylaw. For example, the website A Better YXE claims to be a group of civic-minded concerned citizens, even though it’s steeped in connections to Saskatchewan Party loyalists.

On Facebook, A Better YXE has spent thousands of dollars on nearly 40 Facebook ads since November to spread its sometimes dubious posts urging change at Saskatoon city hall. It’s likely violating the rules if it’s connected to one or more city council bids.

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That may become more clear as the election gets closer. Or it might not.

In the meantime, we are supposed to believe this is a lovely group of folks spending their money just to keep people informed on the alleged dumpster fire at Saskatoon city hall, while also reminding them of how wonderful the benevolent provincial government is.

And, for some unidentified reason, these wonderful human beings remain anonymous. Just humble, I suppose.

But one name connected to A Better YXE is former Saskatoon city councillor Myles Heidt (the company that holds the copyright for the website lists “Miles Heidt” as its sole director).

That’s interesting because Heidt, along with his ally former mayor Don Atchison, voiced the strongest opposition to new rules established in 2006 requiring the disclosure of campaign spending and donations and introducing the limits.

Given the shadowy nature of this website and social media in general, we need to reconsider the rules to give voters more information about candidates.

Perhaps information on campaign donations could be released prior to voting day, so people could make more informed decisions.

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Such a change could admittedly be onerous, but it would also give voters more critical information and help them keep up in an increasingly murky world.

Phil Tank is the digital opinion editor at the Saskatoon StarPhoenix.

ptank@postmedia.com

twitter.com/thinktankSK

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