Imagine Surrey mayoral candidate Mike Starchuk and council candidate Chandan Chahal are calling on their main political rivals to explain why their parties were fined for breaking election rules in 2022.

Starchuk is challenging current Mayor Brenda Locke, former Mayor Doug McCallum, and Councilor Linda Anni’s to speak up about penalties their parties received from Elections BC.

The fines came after Elections BC investigated campaign donations from the 2022 municipal election. All three older parties were fined a combined total of $9,143 for breaking the Local Elections Campaign Financing Act.

Under BC law, only individual residents who are Canadian citizens or permanent residents can donate to local political campaigns. Businesses and organizations are not allowed to donate, and individual donations were capped at $1,250 in 2022.

According to Elections BC, the penalties were handed out as follows, Fined $1,350 for accepting illegal contributions. The financial agent was fined $750 for accepting illegal donations. Received the highest fines, including $4,630 to its financial agent for illegal donations and another $2,413 to the party for spending money before registering.

Imagine Surrey candidates argue that how parties handle their campaign money shows how they will handle the city’s budget. Council candidate Chandan Chahal, a local small business owner and law enforcement professional, said the rules were clear for everyone. He questioned how voters can trust these parties to manage City Hall’s money if they couldn’t keep their own campaign records straight.

Mike Starchuk, who spent 32 years as a firefighter, said rules exist for a reason so the public knows who is funding political campaigns. He is asking Locke, McCallum, and Annis to promise to follow all campaign laws in the future and resign if their teams break donation rules again.

Imagine Surrey says its team will follow all election rules, submit financial reports on time, and bring higher standards to City Hall.

SOURCE: RED FM