Lakeshore Advance, 2012-08-08, Page 6111111111111111111111111111111111
Wednesday, August 10, 2011 • Lakeshore Advance 17
Committee grants request to audit Dowson's election expenses
Vanessa Brown
Lakeshore Advance
An audit compliance committee
last Friday granted a request to audit
Bluewater Mayor Bill Dowson's 2010
election campaign expenses.
"11 seems to me that there are
strong grounds to grant a request for
-;,wn audit," said committee member
b'llrn Cobban, a University of Western
Ontario political science professor.
"Municipal campaign expense
reports are part of the public record
and are an important mechanism for
political accountability at the local
level... It is important that those pub-
lic records be accurate and clear."
In his application to appoint an
auditor, Bluewater resident and
former councillor Jim Fergusson
wrote that he believed Dowson
breached the Municipal Elections Act
by underreporting the cost for printed
materials, not declaring cash dona-
tions received at fundraisers and not
issuing receipts, advertising his cell
phone number, which is provided by
the municipality, on campaign litera-
ture and not opening a separate bank
account for election campaign
expenses.
Compliance audit committees are
trade up of appointed members of
the public who hear an applicant's
case and the candidate's explanation
before deciding if an audit is war-
ranted. Cobban was selected to
replace Scott Allen, who earlier
resigned from the committee because
of a possible conflict of interest. Allen
works for B.M. Ross, which is Blue -
water's engineering consultant firth.
According to July 11 compliance
audit committee meeting minutes,
Rowson confirmed he underre-
ported his printing expenses by
$2,418.25. He said the person who
prepared his expense report missed
three bills from '1Lrkheim Printing.
"That person made an error. 1
should have checked it; I did not,"
Dowson said during last week's
meeting. "I believed what was pre-
sented was fair and sincere."
In their closing statements, all
three committee members agreed
the underreporting of printing
expenses provided the most reason-
able ground that a contravention
took place.
According to the July 11 meeting
minutes, Fergusson told the commit-
tee he heard second-hand
that Rowson attended a barbecue
fundraiser where he received cash
donations. Dowson refuted he
received any donations at the event,
and said he paid $50 for his and his
wife's meal and for the group "to run
their association"
Fergusson's third point claims
Dowson included his municipal cell
phone number on campaign litera-
ture that circulated throughout the
municipality during the campaign.
According to the elections act,
municipal resources are prohibited
from being used during an election
campaign.
During lust week's meeting, Row-
son said he didn't receive any calls on
that phone during the campaign that
pertained to his platform or the
election.
Fergusson said he couldn't prove if
Rowson got any calls or not, but that
he did. Fergusson ran against Dow -
son for mayor last year.
"1 don't think it's reasonable to sus-
pect that that information printed to
people would not generate some
calls, because in my case it did," Fer-
gusson said.
On Fergusson's final point, Row-
son admitted he didn't open a
separate hank account for election
campaign eXpeflses. Ile also pointed
out that four other councillors told
him they didn't open separate
accounts either. Dowson argued that
he used a personal account that only
he could access.
"Yes, I'm guilty of not opening a
special one," he said. "But in my own
mind, l believe that one was as close
as 1 could get for six months of
expenses„
In his expense report, filed with the
municipality in March, I)owson
trported he spent a total of $1,942.45.
Fergusson, on the other hand,
reported he spent $5,844.90.
In April, Fergusson went to the
municipal office in Varna to compare
his election expenses with the other
candidates: he said in an interview.
The almost $4,000 discrepancy
between his and Dowson's expenses
"Just didn't add up," he said.
Dowson said the decision to grant
an audit "isnot a concern at all. It was
an error on our part and it's just part
of doing the Job," he said in an
interview.
'Ihe committee members will meet
again in September to select an
auditor.
Port Pry Comoro tate
So Refreshing
Dylan McDonald, Zurich Public
school 13, takes first prize In the
Water and People category of
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called his photo "So Refreshing"
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