After receiving an $850 fine for over-contributing to her own 2022 campaign for Keremeos mayor, Arlene Arlow said the guidelines around contributions are unrealistic.
Elections BC issued a press release on June 18 announcing that Arlow, as well North Vancouver mayor candidate Guy Heywood, had been penalized following the 2022 municipal election.
In the letter that was sent by Elections BC, it states that Arlow had contributed funding to her own campaign by $1,793.81 above the $2,500 limit.
"Accepting a prohibited contribution gives a candidate an advantage in that the candidate did not need to seek a contribution of that amount from an eligible source, saving the candidate time during a busy campaign," Adam Barnes, director of investigations for Elections BC, wrote in the letters.
As a result, and noting her co-operation with the investigation and efforts to bring the campaign back into compliance with the regulations, Arlow was issued a financial penalty of $850 instead of the maximum $2,743.76.
Speaking to the Review, Arlow had no disagreements with the findings that she had over-contributed during the campaign.
"They are very thorough. They're more thorough than the cops or the [Canada] Revenue Agency," Arlow said. "I've never been gone over with a fine-tooth comb more than [with] these guys. I'm not complaining, I'm just saying, holy cow."
After the election was completed and the financial forms were all submitted, Arlow said she was contacted in January 2023 by the first of six Elections BC officers who covered the investigation over the next two years.
While she did not dispute their findings, she did take issue with the size of the limit that she had to deal with and the way the regulations were laid out.
Individuals were limited to contributing up to $1,250 to a single candidate in the 2022 election, according to Elections BC, with another $1,250 open for candidates to put toward their own campaign.
On top of that, candidates were also limited in how much spending they could do for the campaign, which was a larger amount at $10,000.
"I did not look at the regulations closely enough to understand that I couldn't spend all that money. I had to get other people to give me money so that I could spend that money," Arlow said. "It does suggest that the guidelines for expenses are unrealistic."
Most of her spending went towards a website for the campaign period for people to find information, Arlow said, as she wanted something people could trust to be accurate over rumours and hearsay on Facebook.
While she currently only plans to run if she has enough people behind her, Arlow said she is definitely more careful and wouldn't put herself out as much financially if she were to take another shot at village council.
Upon receipt of the financial penalty, candidates are allowed to file a request for review with an adjudicator or go to the B.C. Supreme Court to seek relief, but Arlow said she doesn't plan to do either.
"My final comment is that I'll be putting the cheque for $850 in the mail shortly," Arlow said.
