cowichan no amalgamation

ElectionsBC has released the expenditure disclosures of the Cowichan Pro Amalgamation and Cowichan No Amalgamation campaigns leading up to the Amalgamation Referendum on 23 June 2018.

Cowichan Pro Amalgamation, run by Patrick Hrushowy [note: currently a candidate for North Cowichan Council] spent over $17,000, of which $16,000 came from corporate donors and the remainder from individuals.

Cowichan No Amalgamation, run by Sharon Jackson [note: currently a candidate for Mayor of Duncan] spent $910, of which $538 came from individuals [disclosure: the operator of this website was one of those individual donors and also volunteered on the Cowichan No Amalgamation campaign] with the remainder contributed by Sharon Jackson.

The Amalgamation Referendum is still an issue with Duncan voters. As I campaign door to door in a bid for Duncan Council, the first two questions I am most commonly asked by voters are: How did you vote on Amalgamation? and Do you live in Duncan?

Here is information on the candidates in the City of Duncan municipal election and their positions on Amalgamation.

Sharon Jackson- candidate for Mayor of Duncan, 2018 (photo: Cowichan Valley Citizen) — Sharon Jackson– candidate for Mayor of Duncan, 2018 (photo: Cowichan Valley Citizen)

Sharon Jackson ran the Cowichan No Amalgamation campaign.

Patrick Hrushowy, who ran the Cowichan Pro Amalgamation campaign in 2018. (photo: Cowichan Valley Citizen)

Patrick Hrushowy ran the Cowichan Pro Amalgamation campaign in 2018.

We contacted the City of Duncan asking for the figures on the cost to Duncan taxpayers of the recent Amalgamation campaign and Referendum.

Paige McWilliam from the City of Duncan provided us with the document below, which was presented to the Committee of the Whole at its meeting on 3 July 2018.

Note that the financial costs to the City of Duncan, and thus to Duncan Taxpayers, of the Amalgamation campaign and referendum are stated as $68,725.79. Note that the $12,000 figure stated as the Referendum cost is a “Budgeted” figure; the actual costs of the Referendum may change as figures are compiled.

Note that the total cost to taxpayers, including the Municipality of North Cowichan and Province of British Columbia, is currently given as $278,510.90.

We will have more to say about this in upcoming posts.

Update: on 5 July 2018 Paige McWilliam from the City of Duncan advised us that the final figure for the City of Duncan’s share of referendum costs was $11,108 rather than the budgeted $12,000.

City of Duncan financials for costs of the Amalgamation campaign and Referendum - 3 July 2018 — City of Duncan financials for costs of the Amalgamation campaign and Referendum – 3 July 2018

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Cowichan No Amalgamation and Cowichan Pro Amalgamation Expenditures Released By Elections BC

Preliminary Cost Figures For The Amalgamation Campaign And Referendum