New Creston town councillor Scott Veitch, Mayor Ron Toyota and veteran councillor Wesly Graham were the top spenders in the 2011 local government elections.
Under the Election Act, money spent on election campaigns must be reported to the chief electoral officer within 120 days of the election.
Veitch, in his first run at a position on town council, spent $4,917, and finished fourth in voting (814 votes), behind incumbents and top vote-getters Judy Gadicke ($610 spent, 1,056 votes), Tanya Ducharme ($615 spent, 996 votes) and Jerry Schmalz ($766 spent, 851 votes). Graham spent $3,035 (804 votes) and incumbent Joanna Wilson’s spending came in at $1,104, allowing them to take the fifth and sixth positions on council.
Former councillor Ed Vondracek spent only $86 and finished in seventh place, 152 votes behind Wilson (782 to 630).
Rhonda Barter ($572 spent, 514 votes), Malcolm Ferguson ($281 spent, 407 votes) and Creston newcomer Renee Kyle ($1,310 spent, 401 votes), followed Vondracek in the voting. Other unsuccessful candidates were Ingrid Voigt ($192 spent, 328 votes), Justin Lysohirka ($131 spent, 265 votes) and Louis Mihaly ($300 spent, 107 votes).
In the two-man race for mayor, Toyota spent $4,213 to beat out Joe Snopek, who was in the incumbent in 2008 when Toyota won his first term. Snopek reported campaign costs of $837. Toyota captured 1,002 votes to Snopek’s 676.
In the Creston school board election, incumbent Mel Joy outspent her competitors to retain her seat on the School District No. 8 (Kootenay Lake) board. Joy’s reported costs were $1,482 while first-time candidates Heather Suttie and Paullette Francoeur spent $652 and $971, respectively. Joy was named on 639 ballots, Suttie on 589 and Francoeur 328.
All candidates must report individual donations of more than $100 and their reports can be viewed on request by visiting Creston Town Hall.
