Saskatoon Mayor Don Atchison 2006 election campaign contributions: $87,527.97; donors include Saskatchewan Party MLA and former campaign chairman

Mayor Don Atchison’s 2006 civic election campaign contributions over $250.00 as reported in April 25, 2007, declaration to the Office of City Clerk, City of Saskatoon:

1. Tron Power - $1,500.00
2. Jack Brodsky - $1,000.00
3. MPD Holdings Ltd. - $1,000.00
4. Butler Byers Bros. Limited - $700.00
5. Normandale Holdings Ltd. - $500.00
6. WMCZ Legal Professional Corporation - $500.00
7. Margaret McNabb - $300.00
8. Al Anderson’s Source for Sports - $300.00
9. Saskatoon Bowl-Arena Ltd. - $1,992.00
10. Dundee Realty Corporation - $1,000.00
11. Cdn. Union of Public Employees Local No. 59 - $2,500.00
12. Howard Stensrud - $500.00
13. Miners Construction Co. Ltd. - $2,000.00
14. Malcolm Leggett - $500.00
15. Norm Wallace - $1,000.00
16. Keith Martell - $300.00
17. Boychuk Investments Ltd. - $2,500.00
18. George Reddekopp - $1,000.00
19. Inland Steel Products Inc. - $1,000.00
20. Rod Thiessen - $250.00 (also contributed $1,000 in-kind)
21. Barry Ghiglione - $500.00
22. Kajen Consulting Ltd. - $500.00
23. Double X Farms Ltd. - $500.00
24. Larson & Larson Overseas Direct - $500.00
25. Hamm Construction Ltd. - $1,000.00
26. Alpine Interiors Systems Ltd. - $1,000.00
27. G Management Limited Partnership - $500.00
28. Legacy Homes Ltd. - $1,000.00
29. Dodge City Auto - $200.00 (also contributed $1,800 in-kind)
30. Don Morgan - $1,000.00 (Saskatchewan Party MLA)
31. Kjell Johnston - $1,000.00
32. Weldon’s Concrete Products Limited - $500.00
33. Kathleen McCorkell - $500.00
34. Nowakowski Family Holdings Co. Ltd. - $300.00
35. Cherry Insurance - $500.00
36. PCL Construction Mgmt. Inc. - $2,500.00
37. The United Group - $1,000.00
38. Ken Sparrow - $1,000.00
39. Vakhos Holdings Ltd. - $500.00
40. Harry Meyers - $300.00 (former Saskatchewan Party campaign chairman)
41. West Wind Aviation Limited Partnership - $500.00
42. Arnie Shaw - $500.00
43. Peak Mechanical Ltd. - $500.00
44. Westfair Foods Ltd. - $2,000.00
45. Signet Management Inc. - $500.00
46. Curt Kunkel - $1,000.00
47. K. Sutherland - $251.00
48. Saunders Evans Architects - $400.00
49. Allan Construction - $500.00
50. Humboldt Electric Limited - $500.00
51. North Prairie Developments - $2,500.00
52. Egger Holdings Ltd. and H&H Holdings Ltd. (in-kind) - $2,756.00
53. Rod L. Thiessen Investment (in-kind) - $1,000.00 (also contributed $250 in cash)
54. Dodge City Auto (in-kind) - $1,800.00 (also contributed $200 in cash)
55. Business Furnishings (in-kind) - $605.00
56. Western Business Machines (in-kind) - $500.00
57. Star Egg - $500.00
Total Contributions over $250: $51,454.00

Various city councillor candidate contributions:

Donna L. Birkmaier (Ward 1) - $3,694.00
Darren Hill (Ward 1) - $5,913.00
Pat Lorje (Ward 2) - $8,002.00
Maurice Neault (Ward 3) - $3,909.00
Myles Heidt (Ward 4) - $5,155.00
Gordon Wyant (Ward 5) - $11,987.99
Charlie Clark (Ward 6) - $10,004.95
Elaine Hnatyshyn (Ward 6) - $10,174.99
Bob Pringle (Ward 7) - $5,932.00
Glen Penner (Ward 8) - $6,170.00
Tiffany M. Paulsen (Ward 9) - $7,789.99
Bev Dubois (Ward 10) - $9,216.50

Election funds unreported
Campaign fund records past due for 11 municipal candidates

Lori Coolican
The StarPhoenix

Thursday, May 03, 2007

Mayor Don Atchison's re-election campaign last fall was funded from a bulging war chest of more than $87,000 -- and he didn't even spend it all.

Candidates who ran for mayor and council in the October civic election were required by law -- for the first time in Saskatoon's history -- to file documents at the city clerk's office by May 1, disclosing the size of their campaign budgets and naming all contributors who donated more than $250.

As of Wednesday, 11 candidates -- including five of the seven people who ran for mayor -- had not complied with the new disclosure bylaw and could face fines of up to $5,000 a day until they do so.

Atchison's documents list total campaign contributions of $87,527.97 and total spending of $62,666.91, leaving a surplus of $24,861.06. The bylaw does not require him to explain what his campaign did with the leftover cash. In an interview, he said he doesn't know what will happen to it.

"Since election day, we really haven't had any time to reflect upon anything yet. The committee that we had has not even met since then," he said, adding, "I can tell you one thing for sure: It's not for personal use, OK?"

An array of local construction, real estate and property development firms were among the 57 companies, individuals and organizations who donated more than $250 each to the mayor's re-election campaign.

Dundee Realty, Miners Construction, Boychuk Investments, Inland Steel Products, Hamm Construction, Alpine Interiors Systems, Legacy Homes, PCL Constructions Management, Allan Construction and North Prairie Developments are all named in the documents as contributors to Atchison's efforts.

Donations also came from private individuals who occupy high places in the construction and development industries, including Norm Wallace of Wallace Construction, Ken Sparrow of Axon Development Corp., Curt Kunkel of Alto Construction, Barry Ghiglione of The Handy Group of Companies, real estate agent Rod Thiessen and Arnie Shaw of Centennial Plumbing and Heating.

"I guess they're satisfied with the way the City of Saskatoon is moving forward, and I guess that's their way of saying they believe the city's going in the right direction," Atchison said.

He emphasized he played no part in soliciting donations and deliberately distanced himself from that part of his campaign.

When asked how the total budget compared to his first run for mayor, he said, "I wouldn't know."

At least two of his campaign contributors were individuals whose names are known in provincial politics. Saskatchewan Party MLA Don Morgan gave $1,000 and former Saskatchewan Party campaign chair Harry Meyers gave $300.

Atchison also got funding from a union, in the form of a $2,500 contribution from the Canadian Union of Public Employees local 59, which represents about 1,500 city employees.

The mayor's re-election campaign team collected more than $36,000 in donations from supporters whose identities will remain private because they kept their individual contributions under $250.

Atchison's main opponent, Lenore Swystun, is the only other mayoral candidate who had complied with the bylaw as of Wednesday. Mark Ewart, former mayor Jim Maddin, John Melenchuk and Mark Weinmeyer had not filed any information.

Businessperson Ron Kocsis submitted forms claiming campaign revenues of $2,429.17 and expenditures of the same amount. However, city clerk Janice Mann noted Kocsis' documents were returned to him because his financial statements had not been audited as required of mayoral candidates. He has not resubmitted them.

Swystun's campaign raised $37,858 in donations, but spent $57,649 -- leaving a deficit of $19,790.

Her team has continued fundraising in the months since the election in order to pay off the debt, she said in an interview. The bylaw doesn't require her to declare any donations collected since Dec. 31, and that's a serious loophole city council should work to close before the next election, she noted.

The size of the budget Atchison's team had at its disposal illustrates a major barrier to political participation, Swystun said. "It's really prohibitive to people to try and enter into politics, particularly at the level of mayor, because if you want to run a really effective campaign and have a lasting impression with your message, you have to be able to have the money to do . . . a multi-media campaign," she said.

Swystun's biggest financial supporter -- with the largest single contribution reported by any candidate -- was the Saskatoon District Labour Council, which provided $5,000. The Amalgamated Transit Union, which represents the city's transit staff, donated $500 to her efforts and the Public Service Alliance contributed $1,133. Most of the remaining major donors to her campaign were individuals, including family members.

lcoolican@sp.canwest.com

©The StarPhoenix (Saskatoon) 2007