Thunder Bay, ON – Financial statements for all council and school board candidates who participated in the 2022 Municipal and School Board Election have been officially published online today, in compliance with the Municipal Elections Act. The public can now access these documents at no charge.
Krista Power, the Returning Officer, explained that following the campaign period, both candidates and registered third party advertisers are required to submit a financial statement and auditor’s report (if necessary), detailing all contributions and expenses during their campaigns.
The deadline to submit these financial statements was set for March 31, 2023, at 2 pm. Candidates who failed to meet this deadline have been notified that they are in default. However, they can still avoid the penalty outlined in the Notice of Default by submitting the required documents (Financial Statement – Auditor’s Report Candidate – Form 4) and paying a $500 late filing fee to the Clerk by 2 pm on May 1, 2023.
There are a few notable candidates who are currently in default, this includes Gary Mack who ran for Mayor. James Dean Marsh who ran in Red River has yet to file. In the at-Large races, Dan Courtney, James Glavish and Iqbal Khan have yet to file.
Clerk Power emphasized that these financial statements were prepared by the candidates themselves and have not been verified or amended by municipal staff. She also reiterated the city’s obligation to make these documents available for public viewing as per the Municipal Elections Act.
Eligible electors who suspect a candidate of violating campaign finance rules can request a compliance audit of the candidate’s election campaign finances. In 2022, the City of Thunder Bay appointed members to the Compliance Audit Committee as required by law.
For additional information or to obtain a copy of the complaint form, visit the Thunder Bay Election website at www.tbayvotes.ca.
