Reform Municipal Election Financing! - SHOW ME THE MONEY!

Municipal elections are interesting beasts. Most who are active in these contests would admit that they are much more challenging than a Provincial or Federal Campaign for many reasons.

One of the key challenges is raising the necessary funds to put forth a real campaign.
Campaigns need signs, literature, a website, office space etc and all of these add up to some significant dollars. The average spending limit for a candidate for city council is between $25,000-$40,000.

In the majority of jurisdictions in Ontario, there is no contribution rebate program, thus effectively killing individual contributions and forcing candidates to rely on corporations. Let's face reality here...people like to get something for their donation.

Contrast this with provincial or federal campaigns where there is a generous rebate plan (75% rebated as a tax credit on the first $400) which encourages donations from individuals vs. corporations.

Municipal campaigns really are the poor cousins or the election family.  The interesting fact is that municipalities can and should correct this.

In the 2009 Vaughan Task Force Report on Democratic Renewal, the issue of election financing was identified as a significant challenge that negatively affected voter turnout.
To remedy the situation Council passed a by-law to adopt a rebate program like their neighbours to the south in Toronto. (75% rebate on the first $400). The Vaughan Task Force report noted that in Toronto in 2003 individual donations accounted for 68% of the total raised vs. only 20% in Vaughan who in 2003 did not have a rebate program.
The hope in Vaughan is that by adopting a rebate program, citizens will be more engaged, and have more ownership of the process. Also this will encourage individuals to donate knowing that they will receive a rebate for supporting the process.

So why are other jurisdictions not adopting this rebate plan? Why do they not realize that individuals supporting campaigns is preferable to corporations? Is it that the elected officials are addicted to the corporate support they enjoy as incumbents? (The corporate community can change its mind quickly...so incumbents beware!).

Candidates for city council may avoid the issue of election financing reform. It's too bad really...financing reform would give power back to the people, to the individuals in our community rather than corporate interests...

So Power to the People I say! Give the people who elect councillors and Mayors an incentive to help fund democracy...and take some ownership in their municipality.