London's top job doesn't come cheap, that’s according to newly released documents revealing Mayor Ed Holder fell just short of his predecessor's campaign fundraising record.
Holder raised over $197,000 to fund his mayoral campaign. That’s just short of former mayor Matt Brown’s record $203,000 campaign in 2014.
Holder says, “If you don’t have sufficient monies raised, it’s hard to run an effective campaign, particularly when it’s city wide.”
Among Holder’s biggest expenses; $47,000 for advertising, $44,000 for flyers and $33,000 for signs.
Holder also reports $34,000 for his campaign website, which was developed by Blackridge Strategy.
Holder’s campaign team could not immediately say how much of the web, marketing and communication expenses were paid to Blackridge.
The local consulting firm provided services to several successful council campaigns, but some critics alleged it was the backbone of a slate of anti-Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) candidates.
But that’s an allegation Blackridge's Amir Farahi denied last November.
Holder relied on large donations to raise money over four months of campaigning, with 298 donors giving over $100 and just 180 donors under $100.
The province made a significant change to fundraising rules for the 2018 election.
Specifically that corporations and unions could no longer make donations to a campaign.
Holder still received significant backing from the development sector, but as personal donations.
Several local developers made the maximum $1,200 donation, including York Development's Ali Soufan, Tricar's Adam and Joe Carapella, Vito Frijia of Southside Group, Bob Siskind of Decade Group and Richard Sifton of Sifton Properties.
But Holder says this about receiving so much money from developers, “If somebody can be bought or somehow influenced by $1,200 dollars then shame on them.”
Second through fourth-place finishers Paul Paolatto, Paul Cheng and Tanya Park have not yet filed their campaign expenses.
