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Elections BC unveils biggest spenders in 2022 municipal election

Mayor Gladys Atrill’s campaign spent $4600 to get re-elected
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Mayor Gladys Atrill gets sworn in after winning the Oct 15 election. (Marisca Bakker photo)

Mayor Gladys Atrill had the most campaign contributions and was the biggest spender in last fall’s municipal election in Smithers.

Elections BC recently released its financial reports for the 2022 municipal election showing how much money was spent on each candidate’s campaign.

Atrill received $3,100 in donations and spent a little more than $4,600 on her campaign. The only other person who ran for mayor was Murray Hawse and he received just under $1,500 and expensed just over $2,000.

The councillor who received the most donations was Sam Raven. In total, she received $2,531.26 and spent every penny of that.

She was surprised to see she topped the list.

“It actually speaks to just people wanting to see someone like me in the position,” Raven said.

“It’s a bit flattering because for every financial donation that I receive…. it’s more than just money. People work hard for their money, they spend their time at their job and for them to believe in my message so much that they’re willing to give that to me is quite humbling.”

Raven doesn’t believe that her boss and Stikine MLA Nathan Cullen’s wife Diana donating $100 is a conflict of interest.

“She gave it to me as a friend and someone that believes in my campaign,” she said.

Diana Cullen also donated money toward Atrill’s campaign.

Meanwhile, John Buikema spent $1,249.78; Calvin Elliott spent $857.76; Genevieve Paterson spent $896.65; Frank Wray spent $667.19and Laura Leonard reported she didn’t have any expenditures.

The candidates that didn’t win a seat around the Smithers council table include Nick Briere who spent $458.12; Adam Koch didn’t spend anything; and Jason McCrindle $20.30.

Over in Telkwa, no money was exchanged or spent. All four councillors were acclaimed and both mayoral candidates, Leroy Dekens and Derek Meerdink ticked the box that stated they had no campaign activity.

In the Village of Hazelton, Mayor Julie Maitland was the only one to spend money. She used about $100 of her own cash on advertising.

And in the District of New Hazelton, there was zero money spent on campaign activity.

READ MORE: Gladys Atrill re-elected mayor of Smithers


@MariscaDekkema
marisca.bakker@interior-news.com

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Marisca Bakker

About the Author: Marisca Bakker

Marisca was born and raised in Ontario and moved to Smithers almost ten years ago on a one-year contract.
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