Ajax enhancing election contribution rebate program
Aim of initiative is to get more people involved in municipal affairs

DurhamRegion.com
Nov. 30, 2016
Keith Gilligan

The Town is providing a financial incentive to get voters interested in municipal elections.

Ajax is lowering the minimum contribution that can be claimed and increasing the maximum rebate offered in the Contribution Rebate Program.

During a recent general government committee meeting, Mayor Steve Parish suggested setting the minimum donation at $20 and the maximum rebate at $225.

“I think when this program was brought in, it was all about maximizing the ability of ordinary taxpayers of limited means to participate financially in a municipal election,” he said.

Another aim was “taking away the necessity to self-finance or to look for large donors. That’s still my philosophy. It’s not to reward people who have no difficulty filling out a cheque for $750 to support the candidate of their choice. It’s to allow candidates to fundraise with an effective public subsidy,” Parish said.

The maximum amount that one person can contribute to a candidate is $750.

“I think the program has been effective. It’s more effective if it rewards small contributions,” he added.

Deputy clerk Alex Harras said there’s a “wide range of usage of the program,” as other municipalities using a similar initiative include Whitby, Toronto, Vaughan, Markham, Oakville and Ottawa.

Wards 3 and 4 Regional Councillor Colleen Jordan supports the program.

“It gives the opportunity for more people to be involved,” she said. “I have a lot of sympathy for people to put their names forward, to run and are left with a deficit that’s their personal obligation to pay. People might help them if they’re left with a deficit after the election.”

She added, “We want people to run. If they have to fund it out of their own pocket, it discourages a lot of people from running. We want to encourage them to be involved.”

In his report, Harras noted the municipal elections act was recently changed to prohibit corporate and trade union donations.

“As a result, campaigns may only be financed by donations from individuals, fundraising events, and self-financing by candidates. This important change will increase the necessity of individual contributions to municipal election candidates, and may therefore increase the necessity of the rebate program,” Harras wrote.

In 2014, there were 89 rebate applications and $12,266.25 was rebated, with an average rebate of $137.82. There were 21 candidates in the 2014 election and 10 participated in the program. In 2000, there were 16 candidates and five took part.

Harras noted traditionally, incumbents use the program more than non-incumbents, but that changed with the 2014 election.

“Usage of the program by non-incumbents is a positive trend that should be encouraged as it is in direct support of the program’s objectives,” he noted.

Based on the number of rebates issued and the number of eligible voters, the program cost 16 cents per elector, he added.