The Candidates for Responsible Municipal Government team (CRMG) that swept into office Nov. 19 spent nearly $18,000 on election expenses according to campaign disclosure records filed with the district.
Although some non-CRMG candidates raised more individually, the team pooled their money into an advertising budget that saw $3,185.75 spent on media and $6,861.67 spent on signs and pamphlets.
CRMG's financial agent Ron Taylor donated $1,250 of the $18,073.26 in total contributions received, which included $12,350 from team members.
Dave Hensman, Jeff Jewell, Tony Luck, and Jenny Stevens each contributed $1,500 to CRMG, while Nelson Tilbury gave $1,800, Larry Nundal gave $1,949.26 and Ted Adlem gave $2,600.
Rounding out the contributors, Abbotsford-Mission MLA Randy Hawes donated $2,000, Ronald Noon,a family member of Adlem, gave $1,000, and Alpenhaus (Mission Springs pub) also ponied up $1,000.
CRMG donated its $126.63 surplus to Mission's St. Joseph's Food Bank.
In the mayoral race, James Atebe raised $9,929.40 for his reelection campaign, spending all but $15.36. He received $4,220 in donations from individuals, $2,650 from companies, $265 anonymously, and raised the rest himself.
He spent $3,018.19 on media advertising, slightly less than the CRMG media budget, $3,435.20 on signs, and $666.40 in other advertising and promotion.
Mike Gildersleeve, who came third, spent $945.12, almost all of it in signage. Dan Williamson, the final mayoral candidate, spent $415, all on signs.
The Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) donated $3,000 each to Janet Chalmers and incumbent Danny Plecas, who finished first and second in spending for councillor candidates. Chalmers spent $4,011.53, while Plecas spent $3,883.42, finishing 14th and ninth place in the popular vote, respectively.
Incumbent Mike Scudder spent the third most at $3,183.04, including a $500 donation from Genstar Development Inc., while finishing 11th.
Rounding out the rest (CRMG candidates excluded): 4. Pam Alexis $1,495.33 (finished seventh); 5. Kerm Gill $1,210.85 (15th); 6. Shelley Clarkson $874.95 (eighth); 7. Tom Armstrong $855.40 (22nd); 8. Heather Stewart $851.65 (10th); 9. Rhett Nicholson $826 (12th); 10. Roman Bojczuk $807.90 (23rd); Gurp Chahal $768.48 (21st); and Lee Hanlon $60.50 (last place).
The deadline to file disclosure statements was March 20, and although everybody made the deadline according to deputy chief administrative officer Paul Gipps, the district hadn't put every statement online by The Record's deadline.
Those candidates are Jim Abbott, Bobby Brar, Kevin Francis, Terry Gidda, Paul Hockridge, Arnold Muir, and Kevin O'Beirne.
School trustees
Edie Lissimore (now Heinrichs) spent the most out of all the school board hopefuls, with the current board chair's election campaign totaling $3,489.41, nearly all coming from CUPE. Local 593 donated $750, while the B.C. Division gave $3,000. The remaining $260.59 was donated to SAINTS animal shelter.
Mission school board's top vote getter, Jim Taylor, spent $1,975.55 on his campaign, with slightly more than a $1,000 coming from his own pocket. A quartet of other individuals, including current Mission Teachers' Union president Mike Trask, contributed $100 each.
Incumbent trustee Carol Hamilton earned the second highest number of votes and her re-election costs tallied $443.35, all self-funded.
Returning trustee Randy Cairns received $500 in campaign contributions and $50 from TWU Local 32, while he put in $50 of his own money to bring total costs to $597.71.
Former school board chair Cindy Miller, who failed to earn a seat in the November election, saw her campaign contributions total $562.26, with $500 coming from her own pocket.
Nancy Arcand's election efforts cost $614.47, Bernadine Babuik funded her own electioneering to the tune of $835.99, same with Brian Harvey, who spent $376.32, and Karen Wootten's documents were not available on the District of Mission website by The Record's press deadline.
For the rural seat, winner Shelly Carter outspent her competitor, Nick Field by a few hundred dollars. Carter received $1,000 in campaign contributions; $200 from Mission CUPE and $800 from CUPE National, and the campaign cost $747.60. The remainder of funds was reimbursed to Mission CUPE.
Field received $500 in donations, and he ran his campaign on that amount.