The County of St. Paul responded to a request from Elections Alberta for proof of donations to the Progressive Conservative Lac La Biche – St. Paul constituency association last week. County documents provided show the council authorized $2,245 to the local PC association since 2004.
The 58 pages of documentation includes meeting minutes, receipts, agenda items and an invitation to Ray Danyluk’s golf tournament fundraiser in 2009.
Council approved a table of 10 at $500 for a premier’s dinner in 2004 and sponsored a hole at Danyluk’s golf fundraiser for $150. For the 2007 golf fundraiser, council donated a barbecue set, valued at $120. In 2008, the County sponsored a team of four and a hole for $575. Council sponsored a team and a hole again in 2009 for $700.
In 2010, council paid the association $1,050, which included $200 for a centrerpiece and 16 tickets. Council later clarified that staff and councillors would reimburse the price of the tickets, for a net expense of $200 in 2010. Council noted the premier’s dinner included a special presentation to the reeve for 30 years of service to the county, the letter noted
Municipalities, along with school boards, unions, Metis settlements and other provincially funded organizations are prohibited from donating to political parties by the Elections Finances and Contribution Disclosures Act.
County council did not donate to the golf fundraiser this year. Staff members received sponsorship by an engineering company to attend.
“In my work as a school board trustee, we always kept our political involvement at arm’s length,” said Reeve Steve Upham, who was elected in 2010. When attending political functions, board members would purchase their own tickets and go as individuals, he said.
“I just brought that same attitude to the work I did at council,” he said. Calling it a “conundrum,” the reeve said it is important to meet political figures of any stripe and to help provide access for residents to speak with politicians.
“Nobody who is involved with that wants to choke off the lifelines feeding them,” said Upham. Municipal politicians should pay their own way, he said.
In the letter, CAO Sheila Kitz said council is considering drafting a policy regarding political donations in its 2012 strategic plan. The letter claims the previous CAO was told by Municipal Affairs donations were not unlawful, but it could be perceived negatively. The Municipal Resource Handbook does not contain information on political donations, Kitz said. Kitz asks the Chief Electoral Officer how municipalities were made aware of the section 16 of the Elections Finances and Contributions Disclosure Act when enacted.
Last week, the Journal reported Town of St. Paul council paid the association $3,775 since 2005. Wildrose MLA Rob Andersen asked the Progressive Conservative government if the money had been returned, referring to the Journal’s report, in question period in the Alberta legislature on Wednesday.
Both Deputy Premier Doug Horner and Transportation Minister Ray Danyluk said they thought donations had been returned to the Town of St. Paul.
Referencing the local report, Andersen wrote a letter to the Chief Electoral Officer with Elections Alberta asking to verify the claim, on Thursday.
The association returned $500 to the Town in October but has not repaid the remaining $3,275, confirmed CAO Ron Boisvert, who is also the treasurer for the association. He said the association could discuss it at its next meeting.
Boisvert has confirmed donations this year from the Town, Portage College, Buffalo Lake Metis Settlement, Lac La Biche ATB Financial and other ineligible sources from the golf tournament have been returned.
“If it’s not eligible, they should pay it back,” said Danyluk, in an interview. “This brought things to the forefront, and what’s eligible and what’s not. Nobody’s trying to do things illegally,” he said.
The local association decided to start a financial review committee to look over the previous three years’ records, said president Darrell Younghans. “Now that we know the rules, the committee is going to take a look back through the records.”
