EXCESS WASAGA BEACH CAMPAIGN CONTRIBUTIONS UNINTENTIONAL

COUNTY COMMITTEE DETERMINES NO REASON TO PURSUE OVER CONTRIBUTIONS TO CANDIDATES IN WASAGA BEACH MUNICIPAL ELECTION

The donations by three contributors to candidates in last fall's municipal election in Wasaga Beach have passed the scrutiny of the county's joint compliance audit committee.

The committee, which is administered by the County of Simcoe and has a mandate to review municipal election campaign finances, determined that overcontributions by Mark Crowe, and Alex and Sandy Smardenka, were not intentional.

All three donated above the maximum of $5,000 that can be donated to all candidates for election in a municipality, according to Sec. 88.9 of the Municipal Elections Act.

The Smardenkas, according to a report prepared for the committee by Wasaga Beach's director of legislative services Nicole Rubli, each donated a combined $6,300. Alex made $1,200 donations to Brian Smith, Tanya Snell, Ellen Timms, Joe Belanger, and Sasha Rose Dileo, and a $300 donation to Richard White. Sandy donated $1,200 each to Smith, Snell, Timms, Belanger, and Dileo, plus $300 to Faye Ego. All of those candidates were elected.

The Smarkdenkas told the committee there was some confusion, as some of the donations had intended to come from their adult son, Phil. Alex Smardenka said his son didn't have a chequing account, so the money ended up coming through the couple's account.

"It was more of a clerical error," Alex Smardenka told the committee. "Our son was supposed to contribute to this, and somehow we didn't get around to doing that.

"I sort of feel silly about it." Phil Smardenka also donated $1,200 on his own to Belanger's campaign through an e-transfer, according to the candidate's campaign finance report.

Crowe, who is the principal of

Hamount Developments, and Stonebridge, told the committee the donations given to the candidates were intended to be from both him and his spouse, Sharon.

Sharon Crowe is listed as donating $1,200 to Smith's campaign. Mark Crowe, according to Rubli's report to the committee, donated $1,200 each to Snell, Ego, Belanger, Timms, White, Belanger, and Dileo, for a total of $7,200, though one of those donations — to Snell — is listed as coming from the couple.

Under the rules, if a contribution is made from a joint account, it must be clear which person is making the contribution.

"In hindsight, what we should have done is each written a cheque for $600," Crowe told the committee.

Following the submissions, the committee deliberated on each of the three matters separately, behind closed doors.

In each case, upon returning to public session, committee chairperson Doug Taylor said the decision in each matter to not commence legal proceedings was unanimous.

The over-contributions by the Smardenkas, Taylor noted, were made in error, and in the case of the Crowes, were clearly intended to come from both individuals.

"It would not be in the public interest to commence legal proceedings," he said.

"There was never an intent to do anything wrong," Crowe told Simcoe.com after the committee made its decision, adding Sharon's donation to the Smith campaign was also intended to be split 50-50.