Two city council candidates in the 2011 municipal election will be paying for their tardiness.
Incumbent councillor Jaimie McEvoy and first-time candidate Harp Sihota failed to file their financial disclosures by the March 19 dead-line.
Jennifer Janzen, the city's deputy chief election officer, met with McEvoy on March 20 to receive his disclosure papers. The election office hadn't yet heard from Sihota as of press time.
Candidates who file after the 4 p.m. deadline must pay a $500 late filing fee.
"It wasn't quite intentional," McEvoy said about his late filing. "I do have an Irish superstitious side to my personality. I always vote at the last minute too."
McEvoy's disclosure forms ultimately revealed that he spent more than any other council candidate. His campaign cost $28,776 - including his own contribution of $19,001.
"The campaign shifted at the start of the campaign," he said. "I found myself being an incumbent with junior status in the field."
That was determined by the fact that former longtime councillors Calvin Donnelly and Chuck Puchmayr both decided to run for council.
"I didn't want to take any chances," he said. "I am a competitive guy."
McEvoy said his campaign spending was also influenced by some of the comments he heard during the campaign from other candidates that he thought were detrimental to the direction the city's heading in terms of its social, environmental and economic goals.
"I am not in it for the council stipend," he said. "I like the work I am doing. - I really believe in the work we are doing."
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