Campaign donations from the Oct. 21, 2013 municipal election have been released, and numbers reveal that of the 20 Rocky View County (RVC) candidates almost half exclusively funded their own campaigns.
Those who ran a self-funded campaign included: Reeve Margaret Bahcheli, councillors Greg Boehlke, Liz Breakey, Jerry Arshinoff and Lois Habberfield. Candidates Sunil Mattu, John McMurray and Jerry Gautreau also were self-funded.
These candidates were not required to file a Form 21 – Campaign Disclosure Statement - because their campaign was funded exclusively by their own funds and they spent less than $10,000 on their election campaign.
Of those who received donations, Eric Lowther – who campaigned in Division 8 but was ultimately unsuccessful – received the highest amount at $29,700.
He received the highest donation from Sunterra Farms Ltd with a $2,500 donation and Watermark Development Partnership with a $2,000 donation.
“I was actually surprised at the amount of donations we got,” Lowther said.
“I didn’t work hard to get donations. I looked at the donations that came to me as a sign of the tangible frustration about the status quo. I see neighbours and friend and family that donated that money.”
Sunterra Farms operates out of Acme, Alberta and is a family-run farming organization.
Watermark Development Partnership operates out of Calgary and is a residential development company.
Lowther announced in late February that he would be joining the group of landowners, business owners and stakeholders who make up Rocky View 2020 to advance the group’s vision by taking on the role of executive director.
Cameron Wallace – who ran for a seat in Division 3 but was unsuccessful – received the second highest donations with $22,300.
Wallace’s major contributors were 590140 Alberta Ltd., which is registered to a series of companies under the Simonelli Group, Landstar Development Corporation, Sunterra Farms and Watermark Development Limited Partnership, which donated between $2,000 and $2,500 each.
Councillor for Division 4 and former reeve Rolly Ashdown had the third highest campaign donations, coming in at $20,505.
Ashdown’s highest donation was $3,000 from 590140 Alberta Ltd.
Ashdown also received $2,000 from Springbank Lands, Genesis Land, 1342804 Alberta Inc and Watermark Development Inc.
Councillor for Division 8 Al Sacuta received $4,150 in campaign donations mostly from private citizens.
The highest donation for Sacuta was $1,000 from Alan Sacuta.
“I contributed $1,000 to my own campaign,” Sacuta explained. “It’s captured under line 5 of the form 21 … I wanted to treat my contribution the same as everyone else’s. That way, people wouldn’t have to look in two places to see where (I) got funds. Also, my wife, who as an accountant handled all the money, wanted to make sure everything totalled correctly.”
Earl Solberg, councillor for Division 5, received $20,100 in donations, with three $3,000 donations coming from Amar Development Ltd., Genesis Land and 590140 Alberta Inc.
Bruce Kendall, councillor for Division 9, collected $12,250 in campaign donations with the largest donation coming from Sunterra Farms, which donated $2,500.
Kendall also received donations from Watermark Development Limited Partnership for $2,000, $1,500 from Springhill R.V. Park Ltd., and $1,000 from Genesis Land.
Sunterra Farms contributed $2,500 to Turner’s campaign.
Cochrane resident Jill Cairns, who ran and lost against Kendall in Division 9, received $1,200 in campaign donations.
The highest contribution she received came from a private citizen in the amount of $1,000.
Stirling Vance, who ran and lost against Habberfield in Division 7, collected $1,000 in donations, with the highest contribution coming from Elizabeth Vance in the amount of $1,000.
To view all the documents in full, visit rockyview.ca.
