• Protecting Water and Farmland in Simcoe County

Monday July 20: Springwater compliance audit committee meets

By
In Candidates / Election 2014
Jul 6th, 2015
0 Comments
3153 Views

Former Springwater DM applies for audit of mayor’s election expenses

Note: An earlier posting stated that the committee would meet Thursday July 9 at 1 pm and 3 pm. That has now been changed to Monday July 20 at 9 am and 10 am, with time held in reserve Tuesday July 21 if required.

AWARE News Network

Former Springwater deputy mayor Dan McLean, who was defeated in last October’s municipal election by newcomer Don Allen, is calling for an audit of Springwater Mayor Bill French’s election expenses.

Under the Municipal Act, any elector may apply to the Compliance Audit Committee, which in this case is a joint committee set up by Springwater and Oro-Medonte municipal councils before the last election. According to a bylaw passed July 28, 2014, committee members are Colin McLarty from Springwater and Robert Barlow and George Wodoslawsky from Oro-Medonte.

The committee will meet at 9 am Monday July 20 in the Springwater council chamber to elect a chair, and at 10 am to review the application. The meetings are open to the public. Procedure is outlined on the township’s website. The committee may decide to appoint an auditor or reject the application.

In his application, posted with the agenda for the 3 pm meeting, McLean noted that the past council was considering a new media policy that would have reduced advertising in the Springwater News; and alleges that a business relationship between French – who defeated incumbent mayor Linda Collins – and Springwater News owner Mike Jacobs, influenced what was published in the newspaper. McLean makes his own estimates of what French would have paid for advertising, flyers, office, website and other costs to claim that his campaign exceeded contribution limits.

He also alleges that French “used services of Aware Simcoe Blog/website throughout the campaign to promote is (sic) name and message.”

(French was a member of AWARE Simcoe and at one time was a board member. AWARE Simcoe published an ad in the Springwater News opposing the Midhurst Secondary Plan and endorsing French for mayor. Currently, AWARE Simcoe posts his blog, which also appears on his own site and in the Springwater News).

Text of McLean’s application (scroll down).

For AWARE Simcoe postings on the Springwater election, click on Candidates / Election 2014 in the menu above, scroll down and select Springwater.

Leave a Reply

Commenters must post under real names. AWARE Simcoe reserves the right to edit or not publish comments. Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *