Spending varied widely among top vote-getters in Nanaimo civic election
NANAIMO — A seasoned political veteran raised and spent big bucks leading up to last October’s civic election in Nanaimo, while an incumbent councillor’s campaign was as grassroots as it gets.
Mayor Leonard Krog raised nearly $53,000 to support his campaign, according to financial disclosure documents released by Elections BC Tuesday. The longtime MLA spent all but roughly $9,000 of that on typical election items, the most expensive being signs.
Krog’s campaign was propped up by 113 individual donations, with 22 of them being at or near the total allowable limit of $1,200.
Several notable local and Lower Mainland developers are on the list, including a maximum donation from Andre Molnar of the Vancouver-based Molnar Group. The company intends to build up to 160 strata units on the site of the old Nanaimo Hospital. The project requires rezoning and re-designation of the land, both of which will eventually come to the Council table for approval.