Okay. So, good evening everybody. Thank you for joining us. Uh my name is Andrea Coin. I'm the deputy clerk uh with the town of Oakville and with me tonight is um our members of the election team. So, the session tonight is intended for registered candidates and those considering running in the 2026 Oakville Municipal Election. We really hope the information we share tonight helps you prepare for the nomination and the election process. And I will now invite Vera Petch to provide the land acknowledgement. Oakville as we know it today is rich in the history and modern traditions of many First Nations from the lands of the Inishawe to the Adawand and Hon. These lands surrounding the Great Lakes are steeped in First Nations history. As we gather today on the sacred lands of Treaties 14 and 22, we are in solidarity with indigenous brothers and sisters to honor and respect mother earth, the original nations of the trees and plants, the four-legged, the flyers, the finn, and the crawlers as the original stewards of mother earth. We acknowledge and give gratitude to the waters as being life and sa and being sacred, and to the carriers of those water teachings, the females. We acknowledge and give gratitude to for the wisdom of the grandfathers and the four winds that carry the spirits of our ancestors that walked this land before us. The town of Oakville is located on the treaty lands and territory of the Missagas of the Credit. We acknowledge and thank the Missagas of the Credit First Nation, the treaty holders for being stewards of this traditional territory. Thank you, Vera. So, we'll begin tonight's session uh with general information about the Oakville municipal election, including opportunities to vote, scrutiny, and candidate information and conduct, and information around results reporting. We do have representatives here from the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing, and they're going to share really important information specific to campaign finances. We also have staff from municipal enforcement services here to provide information on election signs which uh no doubt everybody's interested to uh to hear about. Um also for those joining us online, please ensure that your Zoom username matches your registration. Questions may be submitted using the Q&A feature and one of our moderators will facilitate responses. This meeting is being recorded. If you do experience any te technical difficulties, please contact town clerk@ oakville.ca CA. And this recording will be published on our candidate resources page. So, nominations close next Friday, 2 p.m. on August 21st. Uh, the election website does outline filing requirements, including the requirement for council candidates to submit at least 25 endorsements. For those who have already registered, you know, we really do encourage you to have a few extra. Uh candidates may not accept contributions or incur expenses until their nominations nomination has been filed. Throughout the process, please reach out to any member of the election team with any concerns, feedback, or questions you may have. We truly are here to support you during the process. So, looking at some important dates, we've already spoke about next Friday, which is nomination day, the close of nominations, 2 p.m. on the 21st. Starting September 1st, eligible voters can use online voter services to confirm, update, or add their information to the voters's list. Voter information notices will be mailed in about uh around midepptember. Election signs, no election signs can be posted prior to September 11th, but as I mentioned, we have staff from municipal enforcement services here uh for more information. And advanced voting will begin October 7th at locations across Oakville. And of course, the big day, October 26th, which is a Monday, with voting locations. We have over over 40 locations, and they'll be open from 10:00 a.m. until 8:00 p.m. So, for those who have already registered, uh you'll know that candidates have received access to the candidate portal. And for those who register, you'll receive access after you file your nomination. This Canada portal contains important campaign resources, documents, and forms. And this is also the the place where you'll receive access to the voters's list as of September 1st. And additional details regarding portal access and the voters list are available in both the candidate guide and provided during the registration process. Also, a reminder that candidates will only have access to eligible elector uh for the area in which they're running. So, for example, if you are a candidate for W one, you will only receive eligible electors within W one. And of course, all registered candidates are required to sign a declaration that they'll only use voters list data for election campaign purposes. And the onus is on the candidate to keep the information confidential. And so, for those who have already registered, you would have already signed this declaration upon filing. Oakville, as I'm sure many of you know, we're divided uh into seven wards. For the election, we're offering a vote anywhere within your ward model on voting day. So, what this means is anyone within Ward F four, for example, could vote at any location within Ward 4 on voting day. And u the locations are distributed appropriately around each ward. During advanced voting, however, an eligible elector can vote anywhere in Oakville regardless of their ward. Additional locations and increased advanced voting opportunities are being offered to mitigate lineups. And of course, all voting locations in accordance with the legislation will be physically accessible. We have procedures for voting and vote counting equipment available on the candidate resources page. For those joining us in person, we do have an uh a piece of equipment here. This is the votabulator that we'll be using uh to tabulate votes. And we also use a composite ballot. And so a composite ballot, it's issued based on uh the ward and the school support of the eligible elector. What we're going to do is we're going to be posting ballot faces on our website prior to advanced voting opening so that voters can familiarize themselves with the composite ballot and to see which offices they may be eligible to vote for. Um, we also have accessible voting equipment that will be available at town hall during both advanced voting and on voting day. So with this equipment, voters have the option of marking a ballot using the audio accessible ballot marking device. Options include a hand foot paddle, a braille handheld device, or a sip and puff device. All election officials will receive accessible customer service training and are able to assist voters when requested or if required. So, there are many ways to vote. Eligible electors may vote in person during advanced voting or on voting day, as well as by proxy or curbside voting where applicable. Full voting information, as you can see, is available on our website. And a reminder that voters may only vote once in Oak in the Oakville municipal election, regardless of how many properties they may own or rent within the town. We really do encourage candidates to help share important voter information throughout the campaign period. So this includes the need to bring appropriate identification to the voting location and also encouraging them to bring their voter information notices. Voters should also be encouraged to visit our election website to confirm if they're on the voters list and access additional election information. Also to note that voting opportunities are provided at assisted living and long-term care facilities and this is through our reduced hours program and this is administered by election staff. And lastly, we're very proud of the home vote program and this allows electors who may be unable to leave their home uh to cast their ballot. So all details of course on this are available online. If anyone has any questions around the ways to vote, please direct either voters or if you if you have questions yourselves, please reach out to a member of the election team. Scrutiner appointment forms uh they are available on the candidate portal and so this form will be required for any scrutiner that you appoint to observe voting at any advanced voting or voting day location. More information on scrutiner roles and responsibilities also available on the candidate portal and it's in your candidate guide for those who have already registered. Candidates and scrutiners are expected to follow all election procedures and requirements while attending voting locations. Campaigning and election advertising are not permitted at any voting location. This includes campaign signs, literature, branded clothing or even wrapped vehicles in the parking lot. And consistent with council's elect respect initiative which we shared with those who have already registered. All candidates and scrutiners are expected to conduct themselves professionally and respectfully. Failure to comply with requirements or conduct expectations may result in removal from the voting location. So, at the end of the day on August 26th at 8:00m, election results uh will be posted after they've been tabulated uh online and displayed at town hall. To help manage expectations, we really do like to let candidates know that individual voting location results may not be posted until about 1 to two hours after the close of voting. So, we usually say around 9:30 is when we really can see uh the full election results. Candidates and scrutiners wishing to observe the results process either at a location or at town hall for advanced voting results must be present and signed in before 8:00 p.m. And of course, additional information is available in the candidate guide. So for those elected candidates, the new term of council begins on November 15th of 2026 and runs through November 14th of 2030. The inaugural council meeting for the town of Oakville will take place on Monday, November 16th, 2026. And in addition, there will be a comprehensive council orientation session for all elected members of council. Important dates for which will be provided at a later date. So now before I turn it over to the ministry to speak about campaign finances, I'd like to briefly mention the town's contribution rebate. So, for those who have already registered, you may be familiar with it, and you may al also be signed up for the program. The town's rebate program is available to municipal council candidates who register by uh August 21st. Eligible contributors may receive a rebate of 50% on contributions between $100 and $1,200. Program details and reporting requirements have been provided to participating candidates. uh but I do welcome any questions that you may may have around that program. Uh so before we move to the ministry's uh portion of the presentation respecting campaign finances, are there any questions either in person or perhaps online uh around the material that we've covered to date right now? >> Yes. Yep. [snorts] So, as of September 1st is when you'll start to see that information populated online. Yeah. Uh sorry, just to to repeat the question for those online. Uh the question was asked when voting location information on voting day and advanced voting day will be made available and so that will be early September. Okay. Okay. So the question was with respect to whether students can vote and absolutely uh students can vote if they are attending university uh or college or secondary school at the um within the municipality. So absolutely uh we have information on student eligibility um and uh that's available online and in the Canada guide as well. Okay. So, at this point, I'm pleased to welcome David and Colin from the Ministry of Municipal Affairs to present on election campaign finances. Right. Right. Um, just hopefully you all can hear me. Um, if I get quiet, just put up your hand and I can uh try to get a bit louder. Um, so like we was said before, uh, my name is is David Barwatch. I'm here with my colleague Colin Johnston. Um, and we're here to present to you on candidate and third party advertising. Um, I'd like to thank the town of Oakville for having us and for hosting this session. And let's get into it. [snorts] Okay. So, just to start off with a bit of the of a disclaimer. So, these slides are meant to be a summary of some of the sections and should not be relied on for legal or official purposes. I do want to stress Colin and I are not lawyers and that as a result you should always consult legislation and seek legal advice when necessary. Also want to congratulate you all for taking an interest in your community and in local government. Okay. So just as a bit of an overview of the presentation today. Um so we're going to be talking about a couple things. the roles of elected members of council, the head of council and municipal staff, as well as the role of a school trustee. Uh the nomination process and how a candidate withdraws a nomination. Also, what happens if a candidate falls for a nomination and changes their mind about where they wish to run. We'll uh talk about who is eligible to run for municipal office and for school boards and who are not. We'll go over some general campaign rules and election finances, whether that be campaign spending limits, contribution limits, campaign expenses, as well as boring, as well as what exe expenses are exempt from the spending limits. [snorts] We'll go uh through finance surplus and deficit, financial reporting at the end of the campaign period as well. We'll talk about uh compliance audits which can be initiated by an application. We'll go over some penalties, general for information about the voters list and the rules of proxy voting, rights of scrutiners at the polls, recounts, and then we'll end with some resources that you all can take a look at uh to help you through your campaign. Okay, so start we'll start with roles and responsibilities of elected officials and staff. Um so running for miscal office. Um, so it looks like you're all considered running for misal. Local government is the level of government that is closest to the people and is the most accessible and responsive to the needs of the community. Um, it's a four-year commitment that'll be uh filled with challenges, excitement, uh, disappointments and hard work, but more more importantly, a great deal of satisfaction. Ontario's municipal governments deliver local services while the province establishes a legislation and policy framework. The Ontario government is set standards for many local services such as land use planning, building regulation, and social housing. And the province provides funding to municipalities to deliver um some of those services. The ministry also works with local partnerships uh with the municipal sector to support efficient and responsive local government that are sustainable and investment ready. Local government is a challenging environment with high expectations and limited resources. You're often doing more with less. Um government is not like any other business. You also can't make everyone happy. Um council must make difficult decisions in the best interest of the municipality. Uh before we go uh into an overview of the municipal elections act, we wanted to provide a brief summary of the roles of elected municipal officials and the role of staff. I want to note that the information about the role of council and staff as well as accountability and transparency can be found in the counselor's guide on the ministry's website. I can't stress to you enough how helpful of a guide this is. It's a great thing to have in your back pocket and will um hopefully answer a lot of the questions that you might have throughout your campaign. Okay. So, a bit about council and staff roles. So um first let me start by saying that section two of the municipal act stipulates that municipalities are created by the province to be responsible and accountable govern uh governments with respect to matters within the jurisdiction and each municipality is given powers and duties under the municipal act as well as other pieces of legislation for the purpose of providing good government. The municipal act is a legislative framework for municipalities which seeks to balance local autonomy and flexibility with accountability and transparency of municipal operations. Uh to uh key to any organization, government, business or industry or even local services clubs is for everyone to understand their respective roles and relationships. The next few slides uh that we're going to go through will review the role of the mayor, the mayor's role as the chief executive officer, the role of council, and the role of municipal staff, which are all key to an effective and efficient local government. Great. Um so here you can see basically just the the role of council in general and this includes things like uh represent the public and consider the well-being of the residents and the interests of the municipality develop policies and programs for the municipality. Um maintain financial integrity of the municipality as well as carry out duties uh of council under this act as well as others uh stated here. Moving on to the role of the head of council. So the role of the head of council is basically to act as a leader. The head of council is the chair of the meeting of council and is the public face of that municipality. Although legislation refers to the head of council as the chief executive officer of the municipality. Uh this might be confusing uh with people who have more of a business background. The head of council actually has very very few powers that can be exercised independently of the rest of council unless where specifically delegated. This can be in case of an emergency or in the context of a procedural matter during a council meeting. The head of council has no greater power than any other individual council on member. It is important to note that generally council makes decisions together not as an individual uh member and this also includes the head of council. Uh however there are 216 municipalities that are subject to the strong mayor framework whose heads of council have been given authority to make certain decisions and these will be covered in greater detail in the coming slides. It's also important to clarify that the head of council always has a vote. Okay. And then we'll we'll move on to the strong mayor framework. So in some municipalities, the head of council has additional powers and duties. These are known as strong mayor powers and duties. These additional strong mayor powers and duties apply to the head of council in any designated municipality. These additional powers and duties for heads of council apply to only designated municipalities. The list of those can um have been delegated and can be found on the Ontario website and regulation 53022. So, some strong mayor powers are related to provincial priorities which um are identified in regulation and the municipal act and these include um to build 1.5 million new residential units by December 31st, 2031. [snorts] Construct and maintain infrastructure to support housing including things like transit, roads, utilities, and servicing. Okay. Um so um here is just a slide that kind of outlines a summary of strong mayor powers and duties. Um so as you can see you can see um they direct municipal staff to do certain things related to their additional powers and duties. Choose to appoint the municipality's chief administrative officer. Hire certain department heads and establish departments. Create uh committees of council and assign their functions. Appoint chairs and vice chairs of local boards. Bring forward matter to council uh for consideration if the head of council deems that the matter could advance the provincial priority. Propose certain bylaws if the head of council is of the opinion that they could potentially advance provincial priorities. Veto certain bylaws if they feel that these would um interfere with provincial priorities and propose a municipal budget which would also be subject to council amendments and a separate mayor veto and council override process. So some of the powers that I just talked about um are marked with a single asterisk um and then some powers relate specifically to prescribed provincial priorities which we talked about the earlier slides and those are marked with a double asterisk. It is worth mentioning that the head of council and a strong mayor municipality is subject to existing accountability and transparency rules as well as certain other additional rules. And generally when the head of council uses their strong mayor powers or duties, they are required to provide written documentation to the clerk and other members of council by the next business day. They must also make this written documentation available to the public. A lot of the time this is available on the municipality's website. Uh written documentation requirements vary with respect to some of the powers and duties such as the use of a veto and aspects of the budget process and the power direct to direct staff. Implementation of the strong mayor framework is a local matter. It's up to the head of council council and the municipality to implement the framework in accordance with legislation and the associated regulations. Uh I do want to note that decisions about when and where to seek legal opinion is unique for each head of council and local circumstances or situations. So this means that each strong mayor municipality may adopt local processes and procedures that best respond to the municipality's local needs and circumstances. An example would be the head of council in the municipality may wish to work to establish local procedures for council to provide input um and to seek public input in relation to a strong mayor budget. Okay. So the role um of council representative role. So the next few slides will just provide a bit more information on the role of council as described in the counselor's guide. So, in your role as a representative, you're elected by your constituents to represent their views when dealing with issues that become uh before council. Um though council uh understands that constituents may have viewpoints and opinions uh that differ and you cannot represent them all at the same time. Uh for many issues, you will probably have to consider a variety of opposing interests and make decisions that are not popular with everyone. You should use your judgment and decide based on the best interest of the municipality as a whole. Uh your goal should be making decisions that support collective well-being of the municipality. Uh balancing diverse needs and long-term interests. There's no single correct approach to the representative role. And on many issues, you may find that you fall somewhere in between two opposing viewpoints. Uh just be sure to familiarize yourself with any policies or protocols that your municipality may have in place regarding the handling of complaints and citizen inquiries. Uh we understand that you want to do your best to h to help people, but just remember that there is a consultation process um that staff has implemented um and it's it's worth making sure those are followed. Um there also may be circumstances where decisions are made by designated staff that operate at an arms length from municipality um and where um if elective officials interfere or seem to be interfering um could lead to a bit of trouble. So this would include um decisions made by the fire chief, the chief building official and the medical officer of health. As I kind of mentioned before, each individual council member has a vote when making decisions. Every member of council should vote on matters in the best interest of that municipality as a whole and every member should respect each other's points of views during and after debating an issue at a council table. Once a decision is made by council, it is the decision of municipality and staff um which are then required to carry out and implement that decision. Uh so now to uh some of the fun stuff. If you're if you're a policy uh geek like me. Um policymaking role in general. So some council decisions are routine. Other established uh general principles to help guide future actions. Those are often considered policy decisions. Some policies can be specific like a bylaw requiring dogs to be kept on a leash in public. Others can be more broad uh such as the approval for an official plan. So the the big question here is how is policy made? Um so our beautiful slide here with with our uh our fun colors and shapes. Um just is a good general process to show how policy is made. So the counselor's guide does provide a lot of detail on kind of how to do this but we'll give you a highle overview here. Um so you start by identifying the issue. As council you agree on what the issue is and what the objectives are. Council then directs staff to research the issue uh further and identify and recommend options to council. There may be the need to consult with the public and consider their feedback as well. Council would then review staff information and consider factors such as demand on time to implement the policy as well as any cost implications. Council then makes a decision on the best course of action and adopts the policy from there. Uh staff is then directed to implement the policy. After the policy is implemented, council would work with staff to evaluate the policy and make any amendments that may be required. In practice, policym is less orderly than um than a bunch of squares on a slide uh due to a bunch of different factors. [snorts] Um oftent times just the environment is rapidly changing and the issues that you could be facing might be more complex or could be more difficult to single out um than originally thought. There could be differing and sometimes strongly held views by stakeholders and members of the public. Uh there could be a lack of time to identify all possible alternatives um to conduct the research and analysis needed. There also could be legal and financial implications that may limit what council may do. The implementation um of the policy along with establishment of monitoring and al and evaluation mech mechanisms just might be complex. uh at the end. No, not a problem. Um so just kind of moving on to the stewardship role. So council's objectives are to ensure that the municipality's financial and administrative resources are being used as efficiently as possible. There's a fine line between council's overall stewardship of the municipality and the administration's management of day-to-day activities. So generally council monitors the implementation of its approved policies and programs but the practical aspects of its implementation and administration are staff responsibility. Essentially day-to-day operations are left up to the staff to be effective in this stewardship role. Council may wish to have processes in place to help ensure that policies are being adopted by council and are being implemented. uh staff are administering services and programs as council wished. Rules and regulations are being uh applied correctly, funds are being spent only as authorized, and the municipality's resources, financial or otherwise, are being used uh properly. Establishing and following such policies and guidelines helps council leave the day-to-day um details to staff to manage. councils and freer to deal with the exceptional situations and ensure that policies are current and listen to issues raised by the public. Um before council uh can monitor and measure the municipality's administrative effectiveness and efficiency, it may wish to become familiar with policies currently in place. Uh with input from munipal staff, council can determine whether the policies are functioning well or if changes uh should be made. So next I'll talk about the role of chief administrative officer. Uh but in this case I'll just say the role of the CAO. So um under section 229 of the municipal act a municipality may appoint a CAO who will be responsible for exercising general control and management of the affairs of the municipality for the purpose of ensuring efficient and effective municipal operations. Um as well as performing other duties that are assigned by the municipality. Um, the function of the CEO is more similar to the role of a chief operating officer in a business environment. The CEO is responsible for the general control and and day-to-day management of the municipality. Um, to help understand the role of the CEO in a municipality kind of we can kind of picture an hourglass. So you have council on one end, you have municipal staff and department heads on the other. The CEO is kind of the middle part where all the information goes through. So if council wants to give information to a department that'll go through the CEO and if a department um would like to talk to council it would also go through the CEO as well. Okay. Um now we'll just talk about kind of the role of officers of staff. Um so the role of staff is is also set out in the municipal act section 227 and this would include implementing council decisions and establish administrative practices and procedures to carry out council decisions. This would also undertake research and provide advice to council on policies and programs of the municipality carry out duties required by legislation or other duties assigned by the municipality. uh a general key feature of effective and efficient counsel is just a well-developed understanding of the relationship between council and staff. Um there are also some officers of of municipality that have statutory obligations. Those are the clerk, the treasurer, the chief building official, and the fire chief. The uh the counselor's guide provides the list of ways that council members can assist staff to meet council expectations. We do have some examples for you. Uh this can include having policy requiring comprehensive job descriptions for staff. Um adopt policies that can complement and reinforce staff efforts. Consult staff uh before designing on policies and being prepared for council meetings. Staff on the other hand should be providing well organized agendas and supporting materials, provide sufficient and timely information and analysis, notify council of changes of legislation uh and programs and implement council decisions as effectively and professionally as possible. Um so like I said before some statutory um obligations with the clerk to treasurer, the chief building official and the fire chief. Um they are all protected under their own acts. For example, the building code act for the chief building official um and the fire prevention and protection act for the fire chief. So moving on to council staff relationships. So I'll again provide a high level overview for you all. So council and their administration have different roles within the municipality. Uh but they all have the same goal and purpose. In general, it's the role of the elected officials to represent the community and set direction for that municipality and it's the role of staff to manage people and resources to achieve council vision. Uh council generally sets a policy direction and staff provides the research and expert advice to help council in its decision making process. Staff and council rely on one another to move that mun municipality forward. Both staff and council provide leadership. Council provides political leadership while staff provides administrative leadership to the organization. The relationship between staff and council is interconnected and is important for council and staff to represent one another's role so that they can serve the public in the best manner possible. Municipalities are required to adopt a policy on the relationship between members of council and municipal staff. Municipalities have flexibility to determine the content of these policies. So just switching to accountability here. So Ontario municipalities and members of council operate under a legislated accountability and transparency framework. This includes the role of municipalities and the role of members of council and local boards. Ensuring accountability and transparency is one of council's roles under the municipal act and is a priority when maintaining public trust. Counselors are of course accountable to the public as they are elected officials. But is also important that procedures and policies are clearly set out and accessible and that the day-to-day operations of the municipality are transparent. Um and this slide here just outlines some um policies that counselors are required to adopt. So moving on to code of conduct. So codes of conduct usually set out expectations and standards for council conduct. Codes may help uh prevent ethical conflicts and help in the in the resolution and just serve as a basis for council orientation and training. With the growing importance of accountability and integrity, more municipalities have adopted code of conduct for members of council and certain local boards. Some have adopted other procedures, rules, and policies governing the ethical behavior of those members as well. Municipalities are required to establish codes of conducts for members of council and those boards and these can include kind of the following um categories. So, gifts, benefits, and hospitality. Uh respectful conduct including towards officers and employees of the municipality, confidence, confidential information and the use of local board or municipal property and equipment. Uh moving on to the integrity commissioner. So since 2019, municipalities have been required to ensure that public the public has access to an integrity commissioner. The integrity commissioner's role is to perform in an independent manner the functions assigned to by council with respect to applying the local codes of conduct to members, applying local procedures, rules and policies that govern the behavior of members, applying certain uh municipal conflict of interest act rules to members and requests for advice from members of council on certain local boards um under obligations of the local code of conduct, local procedures, rules and polic policies governing the ethical behavior of members. The uh commissioner's function also includes conducting inquiries into requests from uh council, a local board or members of the public about whether a council member or local board has contravened the applicable code of conduct. Moving on uh to bill nine. So the information I just provided about codes of conduct and the integrity commissioner framework is under the municipal act which is the current framework. As you may have heard though the municipality municipal accountability act received roal ascent on June 2nd 2026. The changes made to this act are not yet in effect and um order of the lieutenant governor and council naming the date would needed to be uh bring into effect. The Municipal Accountability Act, if brought into effect, would amend the municipal act to strengthen municipal codes of conduct and integrity commissioners um framework and it would allow for the creation of a standardized code of conduct across the all municipalities and require a mandatory code of conduct training for members of council. It will allow for the creation of a standardized municipal integrity commissioner inquiry process. provide the role of the integrity commissioner of Ontario to provide advice to municipalities and training to municipal integrity commissioners. Establish a stronger penalty by establishing a mechanism for councils and certain local boards to be removed or disqualified from office for four years if they violate the code of conduct. Moving on to accountability officers. So to help support integrity and accountability in public office, males may bylaw to appoint certain accountability officers. These include a mun budsman, an auditor general, the lobbyist registry and registar and a closed meeting investigator. Uh moving on to the Ontario budsman. So the Ontario unbudsman has a role with municipalities as well. Uh and the role builds on the local and accountability and transparency framework under the municipal act. The role is in addition to the Ontario budsman's role as a default meeting investigator for municipalities that have not appointed their own. The Ontario budsman supports transparency in government and may recommend improvements. The Ontario budsman may investigate municipalities when a complaint is is filed or the embudsman's own initiative. Um an Ontario budgeman can investigate but they cannot a miss value to take action. They can write recommendations to council, but it's up to council on whether they would actually like to follow through with those um recommendations. The Ontario unbudsman does not replace locally established complaint mechanisms or act as integrity commissioner for a misability. There are certain local boards um such as like a police board or a children's aid society that are exempt from the Ontario busman's oversight. And for more information on the Ontario unbudsman, you can uh look at the Ontario Unbudsman Act or probably use your just the Ontario Unbudsman's website. Um so moving to kind of privacy and confidentiality. So personal privacy and other confidentiality issues are important and practical uh legal considerations for municipal counselors and staff. The municipal freedom of information and protection of privacy act is a primary statute for uh privacy and confident confidentiality. It sets out rules for collection, use and disclose your personal information. According to these rules, counselors and staff in most circumstances protect personal privacy and only collect use and disclose personal information in accordance with those rules. Um so for example depending on circumstances counselor and staff may or may not be authorized to obtain personal information in the course of their duties. This might mean that at times counselors could not obtain this kind of information from staff. Uh so moving on to the role of a school board trustee. Uh so the education act creates four different kinds of school boards. We have public French, public English, uh French Catholic and English Catholic school boards. Uh school trustees are members of school boards. They are locally elected representatives of the public and they are the community's advocate for public education. Only the board, not an individual trustee, has the authority to make decisions or take action. A trustee is often the first point of contact for parents and community members who have questions or concerns about their local school. Candidates should contact the applicable school board for further information about duties and commitments. Uh so the role the school board trustee um their role is to establish policy direction, participate in making decisions that benefit the entire school board while representing the interests of constituents. School board trustees are accountable to constituents, the Ministry of Education and families. Uh, so now I'll just take you through some eligibility rules. Um, so you must be an eligible elector, which means you must be able to vote. So, uh, right above me, uh, you have a list that shows voter eligibility as well as ineligibility, uh, to run and to hold office. You can only be nominated if as a day you are nominated, you are qualified to hold uh office under the act and are not ineligible under the municipal elections act or any other act. Um if you are a volunteer firefighter, you are not uh defined as a employee of municipality. If a mun employee wishes to run for office of that municipality's council, they must take a leave of absence before filing nomination form. And then if they are elected, uh they should uh resign from employment immediately before making a declaration of office. An employee of municipality who wants to run for an office in a different municipality does not have to take a leave of absence or resign, but they should check with their employer to see if there are any policies that could affect them. All right. school board trustee eligibility. So, questions about school board eligibility should be directed to the school board secretary. Um, but if you are an employee of any school board and you wish to run for trustee position on any school board in the province, you must take an unpaid leave of absence before you file your nomination form. If elected, you must resign from your job. Essentially, you cannot work for a school board and be a trustee in Ontario at the same time. Uh also the following people are not able to run as a school trustee. Um that includes a clerk, a deputy clerk, and a treasurer in a municipality. Any person who is not able to vote in that municipality, an employee of a school board unless they take an unpaid leave of absence. Additionally, um a judge of any court, a member of the legislature of Ontario or the House of Commons, or an inmate at a correctional institution. Okay, heading to the nomination process. So, the first day to file your nomination was May 1st, 2026. And the last day in time for filing nomination for 2026 is Friday, August 21st at 2 PM. Um, if you want to withdraw a nomination, um, local election policies may state that a candidate must personally attend the clerk's office hours to withdraw their candidates. If a candidate withdraws a nomination, they are still required to file a financial statement covering all the financial transactions made in the campaign. If you haven't spent any money or raised any funds, um you basically just click a box um on the form and sign it and it is therefore complete. If a nomination is withdrawn and the candidate is entitled to a refund, their nomination filing fee um will be refunded only after they file their financial auditor statement by the required deadline. Um so starting May 1 until August 21st, nominations can be submitted to the clerk from anyone who meets the eligibility requirements to run for office. Candidates must uh complete form one, which is a nomination paper and must submit that to the clerk along with the application um and applicable uh filing fees. Uh for anyone who's running for head of council, that fee is $200 and for anyone for any other offices is $100. And the clerk must be satisfied that you are eligible to run in order to clarify and certify your nomination. Uh the clerk can also ask you to identification or fill additional forms to prove that you are able to run for that particular office. The uh the nomination form must have add uh original signatures and if your nomination is not certified by the clerk, your name will not appear on the ballot. And just a note for those in award system as this is as long as you are able to vote in the municipality you can run in any ward. Though if you run in a ward you do not live in, you cannot vote uh for yourself as you have to vote in the ward you reside in. Okay. Uh running for a different office. So sometimes people change their mind and they decide to run for a different office. Um you can only run for one office at a time and once the candidate files a second nomination, the first nomination is deemed to be withdrawn. If a candidate decides to run for another office and they've already collected their 25 signatures, they can use those endorsements for that other office. If a candidate decides to run for a different office in the same council or school board and both positions are elected at large, everything from the first campaign is transferred to the second campaign and only one financial statement needs to be filed. Uh this is unless a candidate decides to run for a different office on the same council or school board and one or both offices are elected by ward then the two campaigns must be kept separate and two financial statements must be filed. So now I'll take you guys through third party advertising. Okay. Um so the following people are eligible to file for a notice of registration. So that would be an individual who is normally a resident in Ontario, a corporation that carries out business in Ontario, a trade union that holds bargaining rights for employees in the province. And then um here are the following people that cannot file a registration for this. So that would be a candidate whose nomination has already been filed under the municipal elections act, a federal political party registered under the Canada elections act, a provincial party or constituency association, the crown or right of Canada or Ontario, and any group or association that is not a corporation. So moving on to the nomination process. So as kind of said before, mispful candidates are required 25 signatures on form two. Um, this requirement does not um apply for schoolboard candidates. Uh, nominators can also nominate more than one candidate and are not required to vote for that candidate and nominators must also be able to um vote in the municipality as well. And for those and in a ward system um a nominator can be anyone who is able to vote in the municipality not just in that one ward. Uh both the clerk and the candidates are entitled to rely upon information provided by that nominator. If a nominator does not meet the eligibility requirements uh when they sign the document they can be held accountable under the penalty section of the MBA. Uh just a tip for everyone. Um if you wish you can take more than 25 signatures, we recommend it as if you have just 25 and two aren't eligible, you don't have to run out and find another couple people to uh to sign up. Um you should also remember that even if electronic ink filing is permitted, which is not the case, um make sure to obtain those 25 original signatures um and just keep them on your records um until after the the next regular election. You uh you never know what might come up there. Uh so just registration for third party advertisers. So individuals, corporations, and trade unions may register to be third-party advertisers. There's no registration uh fee for third-party advertisers. A third party advertiser would register with the clerk at the local municipality. Um and an individual, corporation or trade union um may in person or by agent file with the clerk of municipality responsible for conducting an election. Uh once registered, they may advertise in support or opposition to any candidate being elected by the voters in that area. This would include council, school trustee, and directly elected upper tier candidates. Any person or entity may advertise regarding an issue relating to elections in that municipality without registering to advise advertise regarding questions on a ballot. That will require registration as a third party advertiser. For regular election, the regulation uh registration cannot be filed earlier than the first day for filing nominations and cannot be filed later than the Friday before voting day during the clerk's office hours. Uh third party advertising is geographically based and is structured around the concept of instrumenting a specific specific I um voters in the location Oakville for example. Um and if any individuals want to influence voters in more than one municipality um over three municipalities in a specific schoolboard election, for example, they would have to register in each of the three municipalities and conduct their activities as separate campaigns. If the misality feels that there's been a contravention of this act um such as advertising an effective period um then it can ask the third party advertiser to remove the advertisement or discontinue advertising as a whole. Um just to briefly touch on um kind of the third uh party advisor with uh withdrawal system. So the third party advertiser registration is deemed to be withdrawn if they file a nomination. This means that their advertising campaign would automatically end once they file that nomination. If a corporation or trade union is registered as a third party advertiser, it would not be affected by personally filing a nomination as a person would not be the same uh entity. A third party advertiser and candidate would need to be careful to distance their activities as third party advertisers may not take place under the direction of a candidate. Uh the existing campaign rules would not change. Finance related to a third party advertising campaign cannot be transferred to a can candidates campaign. Um a third party advertiser who withdraws and closes their campaign cannot transfer that campaign to someone else. uh to maintain financial transparency around third-party advertising campaigns. The financial statements of advertisers who end their campaign early should reflect their finances as of the day that campaign ends. And just a reminder, the registration period for third party advertisers runs until Friday before voting day, which is October 23rd, or the last day of the clerk's office hours is open before voting day. All right, I'm gonna pass it on to my colleague Colin, and he will take us home. Thanks guys and thank you for bearing with us. I know it's a quite lengthy presentation. Uh and I will answer questions both on the on David's component and on mine as well uh when we get through. So, welcome to the exciting world of campaign finances. Riveting stuff, I know. Um, so to start with, campaign accounts are only required if a candidate or thirdparty advertiser raises or spends money. So if you're campaigning and you're not accepting any donations, you're not spending any money, you do not need a campaign account. Uh, in general, as we go through this, third party advertisers uh, usually need to follow the same rules for raising campaign funds and financial reporting as candidates for office. uh municipalities and Oakville has one in place already. Uh must establish rules and procedures regarding the use of municipal or local board resources during the campaign period. Uh there's one in place already. And this encourages accountability and transparency. So please uh take a look at the uh policy in advance of any campaigning. It'll save you uh a bit of hassle down the road. Um and just a general disclaimer, the practice of municipalities providing candidate contact information online on their websites uh is not considered a contribution. Sticking with the theme, uh contributions from the candidate and their spouse are considered to have come from the same person and count toward the self-contribution limit. The rules for determining whether corporations are considered to be one contributor and this uh counts for third-party advertisers uh are clarified as if one corporation controls the other directly or indirectly they're considered to be the same contributor. Additionally, if corporations are owned or controlled by the same person or groups of people, whether that's directly or indirectly, they're also considered to be the same contributor. So for example, if I want to participate in an election as a third party advertiser and I own uh Collins Painting, Collins Landscaping, Collins Building, all considered to be the same company for the purpose of uh the election finance rules. So sticking with contributions, candidates and third party advertisers cannot accept contributions from those listed on the screen. That includes federal political parties, constituency associations, or registered candidates in federal elections. Same with uh provincial political parties as well as uh provincial leadership candidates. Also, you cannot accept donations from federal provincial governments, municipalities, school boards or any business group that is not a corporation. In the uh case of third party advertisers uh oh sorry for volunteers uh the value of services provided by volunteers are generally not considered to be a contribution uh but there is one important exception. So if a professional uh and I'll use an accountant or a lawyer as an example uh volunteers pro to provide services for which they would normally be paid, the market value of their service must be recorded as both a contribution from the volunteer as well as a campaign expense. So, for example, uh if you have a friend that's an accountant and that accountant is typically paid $100 per hour and they work five hours for you, volunteer five hours of the time for you doing accounting services, you would document that as both a $500 contribution and a $500 expense and you would issue a receipt uh to the contributor for $500. Uh, as we've mentioned before, trade unions and corporations are not eligible to contribute to candidates campaigns, but they can participate through the election as third-party advertisers or contribute to third-party advertising campaigns. So, just again with contributions, campaign contributions are defined as money, goods, or services given to a candidate for his or her election campaign. The legislation does not go into very specific examples, so you got to kind of stick with the the spirit of what the legislation says. Cash contributions may only be accepted up to $25. Contributions made above that m that amount, so $26 or more, must be made by check, money order, or a method clearly showing where the funds come from came from. Fundraising functions are considered to be events or activities held on or behalf of the candidate for the primary purpose of raising money for a candidate's campaign. So the price of admission to a fundraising function is considered to be a candidate contribution and a receipt must be issued for the full amount. As a as a general rule, receipts must be issued for every contribution and should contain both the name and address of the contributor, the amount that has been contributed as well as the date. Contribution limits. The limit on contributions to any one candidate or registered third party advertiser is $1,200. And there's an aggregate total for the entire municipality of $5,000. So that means I can donate to up to $1,200 per candidate, but all of those donations have to max out at $5,000 for the entire municipality. Uh, and again, since candidates and thirdparty advertisers are required to inform contributors of contribution limits, it's good practice to include the limits on the receipts provided for their contributions. So, self-funding limits. Self- funding limits for municipal council candidates are based on the number of electors voting for that office up to a maximum of $25,000 per candidate. This amount includes any contributions of goods such as inventory from a previous campaign. Uh there is a formula for calculating this which is a base amount of $7,5500 plus 20 cents per elector for the head of council uh with $5,000 plus 20 cents per elector for other council offices. The lovely elections uh department here will provide those numbers for you so you don't have to do any math. Um makes your life a bit easier. The highest self-cont self-funding limit that anyone could possibly have as I mentioned is $25,000. So, if the formula works out to above $25,000, you're stuck with a $25,000 max. If the formula works out to less than $25,000, you get whatever that says. Uh there is no self-unding limit for schoolboard uh candidates or third party advertisers. Go over borrowing here a bit. The candidate can open their campaign account with their own funds, but the candidate cannot loan funds to his or her campaign to kickstart it with the intention of getting it all back. The only way candidates can reclaim their startup amount is if there are leftover funds after the campaign period is over and prior to filing your financial statement. At this time, you have the opportunity to reclaim funds from any surplus you may have. uh a loan is not considered to be campaign income and paying it back is not a campaign expense. Uh but if you or your spouse guarantee the loan and the campaign does not repay all of it back, uh the remaining balance is considered to be a contribution. So in this case, keep the self-funding uh limit in mind. Uh as a general rule, you cannot accept loans from family members or from any corporate accounts you have access to. Any loans must come from a bank or other otherwise recognized lending institution in Ontario and must be directed directly into the campaign account. Any interest that the campaign pays on loans is considered to be a campaign expense. So section 88.19 of the municipal elections act uh you'll hear us refer to as MEA because we like to speak in acronyms uh outlines what const contstitutes an expense. So some examples are the replacement value of goods retained by the person individual corporation or trade union from a previous election and used in the current election. You'll see that with signs or office supplies, for example, the value of contributions of goods and services, audit and accounting fees, uh interests on loans as identified under section 88.17, the cost of holding fundraising functions, cost of holding parties and making other expressions of appreciation after the close of voting. Uh if there is a recount or a proceeding under section 83, which is the controversial elections portion of the act, those are also considered to be campaign expenses. uh expenses related to a compliance audit, expenses that are incurred by a candidate with a disability uh if those expenses wouldn't otherwise have been occurred and the cost of campaign election advertisements uh or third party advertisements as the case may be. So for greater clar uh certainty, the cost of holding fundraising functions does not include costs related to events or activities that are organized for such purposes as promoting public awareness of a candidate and at which soliciting of contributions is incidental. So what that means is if you are giving out flyers for example and on your flyer there's a link that says donate to Collins campaign here, that's not really a fundraising expense. That's just an advertisement with incidental fundraising involved. So, you can't classify that as a fundraising expense, which would not be um subject to your your spending limits. Sticking with campaign expenses, uh and this is just a very strong urging. Uh please familiarize yourself with both the expense campaign provisions as well as the forms you need to fill out at the end of your campaign before you start spending any money. Uh it'll make your life a thousand times easier as you go. Makes it easier to categorize and keep your accounting straight. You can also find this in the candidates guide which is available on our website. So campaign expenses are costs that are incurred by the candidate or person under the or any person under the candidates's direction such as a campaign manager uh as well as third party advertisers in their campaign. The nomination fee uh which you have to pay when you uh sign up for nomination is a personal expense and is not a campaign expense. So please don't include it on your financial statement. Goods and services donated to the campaign are also expenses and must be reported and a receipt must be pro provided for fair market value. Again, only nominated persons or thirdparty advertisers can incur expenses during the campaign period or people acting under their direction. All expenses must be paid from your campaign bank account and a receipt must be retained to show what the expense was for. If you're using a credit card to pay for purchases, that's okay. But make sure you keep clear records showing what the expenses were, like what campaign expenses were on the credit card and that those expenses were reimbursed from the campaign account. All expenses must be reported in the relevant financial disclosure form to be filed with the clerk by the candidate or the third party advertiser as the case may be. With respect to campaign inventory, if you ran in the last election and you want to use leftover goods such as signs or office supplies, you have to determine what the current market value of those goods is and record them as an expense in your current campaign. Again, if you have leftover inventory at the end of the campaign, it becomes your personal property. But if you want to store those items uh to use in another election, any costs for storage are not considered to be campaign expenses. So, we go over to spending limits. So, the way spending limits are calculated is laid out in Ontario regulation 10197. Uh, I do want to stress that the clerk's calculation of the spending limit is final. So, the head of council spending limit is $7,500 plus 85 per elector with all other offices being $5,000 plus 85 cents per elector. There's a separate spending limit for after voting day for parties or expressions of appreciation. So gifts to campaign staff for example and that is 10% of the spending limit and again the clerk's calculation is final. So what you may already know or will soon find out is the clerk will provide two calculations of a candidate spending limit. The first calculation is a preliminary estimate uh and that is provided to you when you submit your nomination paperwork uh for either as a candidate or a third party advertiser and that calculation is based on the number of electors on the voters list as it existed on September 20th of 2022. So the last election, a final spending limit is based on the voters list as it exists on September 20th, 2026 and will provide it to candidates and third party advertisers on or before September 30th, 2026. Whichever number is higher is the spending limit for the current campaign. And again, the clerk's calculation is final. Candidates are required to inform the contributors of the contribution limits. So how much a contributor can contribute to both an individual campaign as well as the aggregate limit on any uh one council or board election. Same rules for third party advertisers. Um and again as I as I mentioned before candidate uh finance rules and third-party advertiser finance rules are generally the same including the requirements to uh file financial statements as well as any extensions for records. So as I mentioned some expenses are not subject to the spending limit. So most expenses are the ones listed on the screen are not and that relates primarily to fundraising functions. Uh but again in order to qualify as a fundraising function an event h must have the raising of money as the primary purpose and I I'll go back to the example of a brochure which has your your policy planks laid out and has a a link to a donate here site. Generally not considered to be a fundraising function. I will go over this very quickly. Again, third party advertiser spending limits. Uh you can see the limits on screen also calculated via formula and again um based on the number of electors in a uh municipality. Campaign finance rules can be found in the sections noted on the slide of the municipal elections act. And so this in the next few slides will walk you through uh some additional campaign finance rules. Again, I'm going to stress it. As a candidate or a third-party advertiser, it it is your responsibility to be fully aware of the finance responsibilities relating to election spending as well as accepting candidate uh sorry, as well as accepting campaign contributions. So, please familiarize yourself uh with both the sections on the screen as well as the financial statements you'll be required to file. and it'll make your life a whole lot easier as you uh keep your records in order. Um the MEA, the Municipal Elections Act uh requires you to open a bank account again only if you are accepting or spending any money in the campaign. So candidates and thirdparty advertisers are required to keep complete and accurate financial statements throughout the course of their campaign. All contributions and expenses are to be accounted for and disclosed by the candidate on the relevant prescribed financial forms. All candidates and third party advertisers are required to keep all campaign financial records until the council in the 2030 election has been sworn in and takes office. So all of your financial statements keep them at least until the end of November 2030. And these rules apply whether you are elected or not. Similarly, uh the clerk's office and the elections office here will keep all campaign finance records until after the 2030 council has been sworn in. So, these are just some uh some tips and tricks. Store receipts in a secure place. They're valuable campaign documents. You're going to need them. Uh receipts must be signed by the c the candidate or his or her designate. Uh it's good practice to have receipts that are multi-art form. uh you know the older carbon copies get one copy you write on and then it transfers to uh the receipts below. Uh and that way you can give one copy to the contributor and keep one or more for your records. Receipts should be numbered in order. Uh when you're opening a bank account, make sure it provides both monthly statements as well as cancel checks. Provide duplicate deposit slips for every deposit listing the names of the contributors, the amount and the amounts received from each. Um, and again, keep a good record of all contributions as sometimes a contributor may make multiple contributions and exceed the $100 limit in which they will need to be identified uh on your financial statement. So, there's a separate section on form four, that's the uh financial statement form that requires all contributors that contribute $100 or more to be listed with their address. Uh so make sure your contributors are aware of this uh as they their names will be public information on the form four including their addresses. Maintain a petty cash fund uh that'll help you handle minor expenses uh but still obtain invoices to support all payments from that fund and then you can replenish the petty cash fund from your campaign bank account. Um and yeah, look over form for I can't stress it enough. the number. We get a ton of a ton of calls in in November of every election year saying, "I don't know how to open this. How do I get this form? Where is it?" So, if you look at it in advance, fill it out as you go if you can. Uh, it makes your life a whole bunch easier. Um, we are going to go over signed bylaws tonight in Oakville. Um, but those aren't reg those aren't regulated under the municipal elections act. Those vary between municipalities. Uh so our our lovely bylaw staff here uh will run you through that later. Um but some general rules. Candidates and thirdparty advertisers cannot cause an election campaign or advertisement to appear unless they provide the following information to the broadcaster or publisher in writing. This primary refers if you have taking out radio ads or newspaper ads. Uh the name of the candidate or registered third party advertiser must be provided as well as the name and business address of whoever is dealing with the broadcaster or publisher. uh and the same is required uh for thirdparty advertisers but third-party advertisers are also required to list the municipality in which the advertiser is registered. Uh similarly no broadcaster or publisher shall either allow to appear or publish an advertisement unless they have received all that information. Uh the period for thirdparty advertisements as shown on the slide is the period when the third party advertising rules apply. So in 2026, that is from May 1st uh until the close of voting on election day, which is 800 PM on October 26th. Sticking with advertisements, um broadcasters and publishers uh are also required to maintain records uh as you can see on the screen and copies of um the advertisement as well. So section 88.25 of the Municipal Elections Act states all candidates are required to file a form for with the clerk regardless of how much or how little they spent or fundraised. So if you filed a nomination form, you have to file a form for even if you haven't spent a penny. In those cases, there's a quick box you can tick, sign your name, and you're done. But do remember if you've signed if you filed your uh nomination paperwork, you must submit a form four. The deadline to file those financial statements is March 30th, 2027. So that's next March before 2 PM. And that is a hard deadline. Don't show up at 3:00. Your clerks have had a busy day. They want to go home. Uh if you feel you cannot meet that deadline, you must apply to the courts for an extension prior to March 30th, 2027. Uh and again if you filed the form four, you have to file your statements and that um applies whether you withdrew your nomination or even if you were acclaimed. [snorts] Same thing for third party advertisers. They fill out form 8. And then again those are all available on the uh ministry's website. Uh a good suggestion is you can resubmit your financial statements to correct any errors up until the fi the filing deadline. So, if you've noticed an error, you've mis calculated something, your math didn't add up as you were tallying everything, you can resubmit. So, if you're able to submit early, it gives you a bit of wiggle room to correct any errors. Uh, the clerk's office will make a public report of which candidates filed financial statements and which did not. uh if you have uh little or no expenses, you can file your financial statements early prior to uh December 31st, 2026. But that means if you file filed your financial statements early, your campaign is closed. Uh there is an opportunity to continue raising money after election day if you have a campaign deficit. But once you file your financial statements, um the campaign period is done. Similarly, third party advertisers have the same ability to file early um which is December 31st, 2026. Clerks are required to report whether candidates have met their financial filing obligations and publish the report on the municipal website or in another electronic form. And this will be done by April 30th uh in the year following a regular election. So 2027. Again, the clerk must also as soon as possible after April 30th, 2027, make a list of all registered thirdparty advertisers and whether they have met the financial uh filing statements as well. Clerks can determine the conditions of electronic filing. I don't know if I believe uh because Oakville has a rebate program, you guys are taking electronic filing of financial statements or no? No, no, they are not. Talk to your talk to your clerk's department. They'll run you through the the process. >> Yep. Oh, they are for financial statements. All right. Either way, stay in touch with uh the elections office. They can answer all of your questions. Um sticking with financial statements, uh the appointment of an auditor by the candidate is mandatory if expenses or contributions exceed $10,000. Uh and that auditor must be licensed under the Public Accounting Act of 2004. Uh, I do want to stress, um, if you feel like you're going to hit that $10,000 threshold, seek an auditor early. Um, there are not a lot of firms that will deal with, uh, election finances. So, you may find yourself uh, hardressed to find one if you've left it uh, too late. And again, another reminder that financial statements are public documents. Some other points here. Uh the nomination fee is only refundable if the financial statement is filed on time. A candidate or third party advertiser who misses the filing deadline uh may file within a 30-day grace period provided a $500 late fee late filing fee is paid to the municipality. So in this case, uh that period ends on April 29th, 2027. Um, but please note that a candidate who chooses to file within that 30day grace period will be subject to both the $500 late filing fee as well as the loss of their nomination refund. I have not been on the right slides. Campaign surplus. Uh, when filing the financial statement, a candidate or third party advertiser with a campaign surplus must pay the entire amount to the clerk. That does not mean the clerk is getting your money. uh it means that that money becomes the property of the municipality. Uh but prior to paying over any surplus fund to the clerk, a candidate or third party advertiser is entitled to a refund of any contributions they or their spouse have made to the campaign. So for example, if a candidate has $1,000 left over at the end of the campaign, and they themselves made a a self-contribution of $500 to their own campaign, they will be able to repay themselves that $500 and the remaining $500 would go to the municipality. This money will be placed in trust for use by the candidate if they need it for a compliance audit. If it is not needed for a compliance audit, it becomes the property of the municipality. I'm going to go to compliance audits and enforcement. So, every municipality has a compliance audit committee. Uh members of the compliance audit committee are not members of council or school board. Uh they're also not employees or candidates or registered third party advertisers in the election. Uh the clerk will review all contributions and prepare reports for consideration by the compliance audit committee if a contributor appears to have exceeded any contribution limits. This process is related to reviewing contributions as reported on the financial statements and is not comply and is not connected to the financial sorry to the compliance audit process. If it's apparent to the clerk that a contributor had has exceeded one or more of the contributions limits, the clerk would report this to the uh compliance audit committee which would then meet to determine whether to proceed with legal action. So electors entitled to vote in election may also apply for compliance audit even if of a candidate even if that candidate has not filed a financial statement. The application must be in writing and it must set out the reasons why they believe the Municipal Elections Act has been contravened. The application must be submitted to the municipal clerk or the secretary of the school board within 90 days of the filing deadline. The compliance audit committee will then consider the application and decide whether to retain an auditor or undertake a compliance audit of the candidates's financial statements. Uh if for some reason a person does not want to apply to the compliance audit committee, they may commence legal action on their own. But any prosecution related to the 2026 election must be commenced on or before November 15, 2030 when uh the following year's count the following terms council is sworn in. So if a compliance audit is granted uh the committee will appoint an auditor to conduct a compliance audit of the candidates's campaign finances. The auditor is entitled to have access to all of the financial records related to the campaign and the auditor will then produce a report which the candidate is entitled to receive. The compliance audit committee will meet to consider the auditor's report. If the report if the report concludes that there is an apparent controvention of the municipal elections act, the committee will decide whether to commence legal action. Uh I do want to stress the compliance audit committee does not have any authority to set penalties. Only the courts can decide whether uh a candidate or an individual has contravened the act and if so which penalties should apply. That said, there are some automatic penalties. There are three contraventions of the Municipal Elections Act where penalties apply automatically if you fail to file a financial statement by the end of the 30-day grace period or fail to apply to the courts for a uh an extension by the by March 30th, 2027. If your financial statement shows that you exceeded your spending limit or if you failed to turn over your surplus to the clerk when you file your financial statement. The penalty for those uh offenses is you forfeit your office if you're elected and you become ineligible to run or be appointed to fill any vacancy until after the 2030 election. So another reason to to make sure you are on top of your financial statements and filing within the required deadlines. Additionally, if you're convicted of an of an offense, you may be subject to the following penalties. A fine of up to $25,000. Ineligibility to run or vote in the next general election. up to six months in prison, forfeite of your elected office. Uh if a judge finds you committed the expense uh the offense knowingly. Uh I previously indicated that you if you are convicted of exceeding the spending limit, you automatically lose your seat. But you also may face a fine in the for the amount by which you exceeded the limit. So the voters list and proxy voting uh new in this election uh this municipal election uh elections Ontario now has a role to play in municipal elections. So elections Ontario is a nonpartisan office of the legislative assembly of Ontario responsible for administering provincial elections. Um and elections Ontario is governed by the elections act and the elections finances act. While elections Ontario does not administer local elections, we have our our lovely uh election team here. They do have a role to play in providing up-to-date voters list information to local partners. The voters list for each municipal election is prepared using data from the permanent register of electors maintained by elections Ontario and Elections Ontario works with local partners to provide them with the most up-to-date voters list to support these elections. Um voters across the province can update their information in the register for local and provincial elections by visiting register to vote.ca. Uh it is a very quick process. I've done it myself. It takes about five minutes to um confirm your information is accurate. So as you're campaigning, you may want to u make sure voters are aware as well. So the voters list becomes a public document on September 1st, 2026. Uh and we went over that a little bit earlier. Um, you will have to, as Andrea mentioned, um, to receive the voters assist, you must give the clerk a written acknowledgement of the following. Uh, that you will only use the list for electoral purposes and not for commercial purposes. That you're bound by the restrictions set out in the Municipal Elections Act related to the handling of the voters list. And you will only share the list with others such as campaign workers after obtaining similar written acknowledgements from them. So once you have the list, you have some additional uh restrictions as well. uh you as a candidate are the only person who may share the voters's list. If you've given someone a copy, they are not allowed to share it further. You have to keep track of who you've shared your voters's list with. Uh if you've given someone a physical copy of the list, they must return that physical copy to you. If you share an electric an electronic copy, they must destroy that copy and provide you with a written acknowledgement that the copy has been destroyed after they are done uh using it for electoral purposes. You can't keep copies of the voters list after your campaign has ended. So on or before the day your campaign ends, you must destroy physical copies or electronic copies that you've received from the clerk and have any printed or electronic copies you've shared with other people destroyed as well. Ensure you have rece and you also must ensure you've received written acknowledgements from anyone who's received an electronic copy of the list that the electronic copy has been destroyed. So, here is uh some just requirements that will be on the uh written acknowledgement that you must uh get back from your your campaign team that you're sharing your the voters list with. And you should also have the date set out by which people must return physical copies or have electronic copies destroyed and the uh confirmation of the copies being destroyed provided back to you. What is important is you must keep records of the written acknowledgements until after November 15, 2030 when the next council or school board takes office. So proxy voting um there are a number of reasons why someone would appoint someone else to vote on their behalf. Could be absence from the area, illness. So section 44 of the Municipal Elections Act covers the issuance of proxy forms. So no appointments for proxies are made until nominations are closed. So that won't be until um September of 2026. Uh the clerk's office may designate a time and place for the presentation of proxy voting forms for the clerk certification. Assignment of proxy voting is responsibility of an eligible voter to appoint another identified eligible voter. So an eligible proxy may exercise only one proxy vote unless the proxy is acting on behalf of a spouse, sibling, parent, child, grandparent or grandchild. and that's in section 44 of the Municipal Elections Act. So, essentially, you can only act as a proxy for one person unless you're acting as a proxy for multiple family members. But, please check in with the the clerk's office uh before uh getting any of those forms filled out. They can walk you through the process. So, scrutiners recounts key dates and resources. We've gone over some of this already um especially discussing scrutiners uh but just to stress uh the scrutiners and candidates as well have to respect that the designated um uh receiving the the DRRO must ensure fairness, access, privacy and sec security of the vote uh in the voting place. So the deputy returning officer has the ability to kick out anyone from a voting place who's not following the rules. So, make sure your your scrutiners are aware of their responsibilities. Uh, and as a candidate yourself, make sure you're aware of your what what you can and cannot do in a voting place. Um, recounts. So, recounts are only automatic if the vote is tied. Uh, councils have an option of establishing policies prior to the election that also allow for an automatic recount based on uh the criteria they lay out. Uh notwithstanding, council still retains the option to pass a resolution for a recount within 30 days after the clerk has declared the results of the election. Additionally, an eligible elector can apply to the courts for a recount within 30 days of the clerk's declaration of the results. So, some key dates here, we've gone over them, so I will save um me repeating them. Uh just note the um campaign filing uh financial deadline on the bottom there. March 30th, 27 2027. Here are some uh resources um that are useful. David mentioned it as well, but we cannot stress how um helpful both the voters's guide and the candidates guide are. Um they answer a lot of uh our most common questions and they do provide some very specific examples. And this is our contact information. Bridget was unable to join us this evening. Uh but both David and I as well as Bridget are available by phone or email uh to answer questions. Again, we often won't be able to give you strict yes or no question, yes or no answers, but we can uh direct you to uh some of the resources, give you things you should be sitting uh thinking about as uh ultimately, especially when it comes to campaign finance, uh it is the candidates's responsibility uh to make those determinations and to follow the relevant legislation. So again, thank you for bearing with me. We'll take questions now both this section or David's previously. Oh, yep. Yep. So, so in those cases, it's generally refers to uh and I will have to pull this from memory. Um there there's specific requirements in the legislation that go through what can be withheld. So for example, uh information identifying a specific employer or an individual will be held in close session. Uh things that have carry legal risk uh to the municipality, but they're very strict um restrictions and they're dealt on a case- by case basis. Uh so the municipality's legal team would provide advice as will the clerk's office, but in general, most items dealt by council are dealt with in public. Yeah. So, a closed meeting investigator is a person that basically ensures or investigates whether a municipality has been complying with the legislation related to closed meetings. So, a municipality can either appoint an individual specifically to deal with that, but it's not a requirement. If they don't have someone appointed, the Ontario Ombbudsman is the closed meeting investigator by default for any municipality in Ontario. What would then happen is uh let's say uh I live in Thunder Bay, Ontario, and I think that uh council has not been following the rules. I would submit a complaint to the Ontario Ombsman or a Thunder Bay's closed meeting investigator and they would investigate the process and then submit a report that is publicly available. >> No problem. Thank you. >> Uh Colin, we have um a question from an online participant actually. Um so if a candidate receives a donation online and it was auto deposited and then the candidate subsequently wants to return it, can this be done? Um further question, how could it be recorded and is it public? um you would want to contact the individual that has made that donation and then make every effort to return it. And you'd want to have that clearly recorded in your financial statements as well, whether your your bank statement. Um, as a as a rule, you shouldn't have auto deposit set up for e transfers, for example, because you want to have a clear record of who is making the donation and whether they are an eligible uh contributor. Sorry. And for uh oh no, we did repeat it. Uh the previous questions I should have uh said it out loud uh were related to the closed meeting requirements for municipalities as well as the role of the closed meeting investigator from the floor here. >> Yeah. Yeah. So if the can the question was if there are public events uh and there are expenses related to the public events that are happening whether that's a speaker fee or a um a singer or an honorarium for someone attending uh if the campaign is putting on the event. So if the event is happening at the campaign's direction, any money you are paying either people to be there, any cost for food or refreshments would be considered to be campaign expenses. >> Yeah. So the question being if you have a company managing your campaign would you need receipts from the company for any expenses they have? Uh yes. So essentially anything the c the company that's managing your campaign is spending uh they're acting on your behalf essentially. So you'd want an invoice that details what they're spending money on uh in as much detail as you can get so that you know what your your campaign expenses are. you you would want a good practice is again there's not a hard and fast rule but you want as much detail as you can get because so for I'll use an example of fundraising expenses. So if you've hired a company that is putting on fundraising events for you those costs are not subject to the spending limit. So you'd want to have those broken down separately so you're not counting them towards your spending limit. So getting as much detail as you can in any invoices that company's providing for you uh will make your life easier. So no so a third party advertiser is completely separate from a campaign. uh the third party advertising rules were put in place to allow essentially corporations uh trade unions or even just interested members of the public uh to participate in the election um through advertising essentially. So, uh, if I, for example, am really upset at Oakville because I think taxes are too low, I could put out ads saying, "Don't vote for X, Y, and Z in Oakville because they're not going to raise taxes enough." And then in that case, I would be a third-party advertiser. If you are just paying a company to provide services for your election campaign, they are not a third-party advertiser. They're just providing you a service. If so, the question is do all media expenses have to be listed? Essentially, if you are spending money, it has to be listed as an expense. The the municipal elections act doesn't get into social media, for example. So, free accounts on Facebook, it's not an expense. You're not spending money. But if you're then paying to boost posts, that is an election expense and you would have to record that uh as such. >> Um there's another question from the uh online participants. Um a husband and wife can contribute to a candidate individually or does it considered one payment? Um what if a husband contributed $1,200 and a wife as well? Would that be okay? >> So there's a distinction between self-funding. So if you're funding your own campaign, uh you and your spouse are considered to be the same person have the same self-funding limit. However, if you are contributing to an individual's campaign, each individual has their separate limit. So that's a a distinction there. So if I am donating money to uh David's campaign and my spouse would also like to donate to David's campaign, each of those is a separate $1,200 limit. If my wife and I, if I am running for um council, both my contribution and my wife's contribution come from the same pool. So that's the $25,000 limit for self-unding, which is separate. >> Y No. So, a third party advertiser is completely separate from a campaign. They don't interact. A third party advertiser is not working with a campaign. They're acting on their own. If you are paying for advertisements, that all comes from your campaign account. It's completely separate from thirdparty advertising rules. If a corporation, let's say um a bank, I don't know, any corporation, any any business that's registered, wants to uh support your campaign, they want to advertise because they think you're a great guy. That has to happen separately from your campaign. And in those cases, a third party advertiser may register and take out ads to support you, but you can't coordinate it. If you are paying them, if you are paying them to put out ads, that's an expense. If you're asking them to take out ads on their own for you, that would not be allowed. >> All right. Thank you guys for having me. And with that, uh, I appreciate you not falling asleep. And everybody, uh, I'll turn it back to to Opel. [snorts] >> Great. Thank you. Uh, thank you very much David and Colin uh, for that great presentation. I just wanted to add what may provide a little bit of clarity uh just some notes that I took with the questions for financial statements when candidates are ready to file which that'll be uh next next March April of 2027. Keep in mind that um candidates are not required to submit any receipts any additional records or documentations alongside the provincial form which is form four. Um however you do want to keep all receipts, all documentations so that if you are engaging the services of an auditor if you are required to do that or if at any point there has there is a compliance audit application, you want to have those records uh so that you can demonstrate um how you ran your campaign. And then also this does come up often with um if a husband and a wife uh in who live in one household wishes to donate to a a a candidate, they can each they're each eligible uh to donate to a maximum of $1,200. We really do recommend separate checks if you can. It's just clear with your campaign finance records to demonstrate that um this individual and this individual each contributed $1,200 and that one contribution of 2400 did not come in. So hopefully that pro provides a little bit of clarity. Uh but again, David and Colin, thank you so much for joining us tonight uh on on that excellent presentation. I'd like to now turn it over to Rob McCloud. He is with our municipal enforcement services department and he's going to speak to the group on election signs. Thank you. >> Hello everyone. Thank you. Thank you for attending tonight. Uh so my name is Robert Mloud. I'm one of the supervisors of municipal enforcement services with the town of Oakville. Uh oversee the the mobile compliance team. So, my officers would be the ones investigating these these sign complaints and any any sign related uh enforcement. So, we'll kind of run you through that process tonight. Um, you know, just, you know, the key tips, the key kind of regulations you need to keep in mind when you're posting signs. We'll kind of get hop right into that. So, you know, in regards to signage in the city or in the town of Oakville, um, our sign bylaw regulates kind of the placement, the terms, everything related to that. So, you know, it's defined in there. You know, we have election signed as well as sign defined. So it's any device including surfaces, structures and/or components parts whose purpose is to design to to advertise, announce, draw attention to, identify a product, product, place, activity, person, institution, business, or other entity to communicate a message or information any kind to sorry or information of any kind to the public. So this includes stickers, banners, um you know, wall stickers. You see this, you know, window adhesive coverings. There's, you know, it regulates quite a bit that you may not uh assume is a sign. you may think might not be regulated by by the town. Um, in regards to two signs, um, when you register as a candidate, you made a a deposit of $240 through the online services. So, that is that is the deposit that is required uh for this this purpose. Uh, if signs are placed before um uh so if signs are placed before election sign deposit is paid or received or before you register, then we would remove those. You are subject to receiving a fine at that point. Um, under the the signed bylaw, uh, there is a requirement that they cannot be erected prior to 45 days before the election date, which would be September 11th, 2026. Uh, that purpose, uh, or that for that that date, it would be as of the 11th, not not the 10th, not the night before. So, as of 12:01 a.m., September 11th, you would be able to put those signs up. So, anything before then would be removed. So, and subject to penalties. Um, sign placement is is quite specific in this in the town. Um, so we will kind of go over that as well. Election signs can only be placed on on town artillery or road allowances and private property with the owner's approval. Um, you can al also only place signs in the ward for which you are running. So we had this question come up recently where um someone said, "Well, I have a friend who lives in a different ward. Can can they place my sign up on their front lawn?" The answer is no. Unfortunately, you're not able to do that. They must stay within the geographical region that you are running. Uh, election signs can also cannot be placed within 10 meters of a of another election sign for the same candidate. This is something that we often will see as the as the date moves closer to the election. You'll see a flurry of signs and activity kind of leading up to it. So, I know you want to get your name out there that last little push, but unfortunately, there is still that restriction that falls into place. Uh municipal property, there's restrictions. So, we we do not allow signs to be posted on on community center or rec centers, parks, uh road allowances, abudding town owned buildings. uh that includes town trees or supports, uh utility poles, any official signs or official sign structures, town fences, regional roads, which I'm going to talk about a little bit further in a second, and the frontage where properties where a senate is located. So, pretty much you're related, you're going to be restricted to private property and uh arterial roads, which we'll kind of talk about in a second. Uh so, regional roads is is is the big restriction in the town. We don't have jurisdiction there. So you would not be able to place your signs on regional roads. The slide behind me here will have them identified in red. So you know these are your more major roads. Dundas, uh, Bronty Road, Trafalogar, Ninth Line, Winston Churchill. So anything in red here would not be permitted to place election signs. So and they would be removed if you did place them up in there. Um, there were some W maps that we provided which had a few regional roads highlighted. So I just want to make mention to that. um to to get the most up-to-date map and to ensure you are placing them on the right streets. We are directing all candidates to use the interactive candidate map which um you know if you go to the registered candidate page and scroll to the bottom you'll see the link for the candidate map and that will take you to this page which has all the approved location. This is the most up-to-date information. Please use this map and please refer to the website um for for the time being and that that will have the most up-to-date information and you know if there's any changes required they would reflect at this location. Uh just make a note where at the top there's like a tab bar which is like W six, W seven. You're have to scroll all the way to the far right hand side to see the election science tab or all the way to the bottom and it will display. So just something to be aware of when you're looking at that, but we always wanted to get that message out there. There was a few in the in the PDF package that were uh identified regional roads. So uh in regards to placement, um so there are some restrictions as well. Obviously with an intersection, we have a 30 meter restriction on each side. That's for visibility. uh the visibility triangle for cars turning. It would be considered an obstruction if they are in that area. So it would have to be just behind that triangle um or just outside of that area. We do not allow placement on any median islands, anything in the in the right of way. Um you know, we see this commonly again as unfortunately as we lead up to elections, you you'll see medians in the middle of the road start to accumulate these signs which that would not be permitted. Um they can be placed on the boulevard if the boulevard is wider than 1.5 meters. There's a requirement for them to be 1.5 meters back from the curb. If if the boulevard is wide enough to accommodate that, it can be placed on the boulevard. However, if it's not, it must be behind the sidewalk. Uh in properties where there's a fire hydrant, there must be a 1.5 meter clearance all around that fire hydrant kind of as shown there. >> You can you can you can ask them as we go along this one. >> Yes. >> Yeah. Yeah, I believe it's relating to the shelter like the actual enclosure itself in that instance. >> If there's no shelter, then just the pole wherever wherever there's usually there's a concrete pad something that kind of identifies the area. I know sometimes they have temporary ones. It's just a sidewalk. When in doubt, just use the post and go from there. We we'll have some discretion in those circumstances for sure. Uh yeah, I think that's a big one. And then uh for for properties with no sidewalk, again, it's going to be 1.5 meters back from the from the curb and 1.5 meters back from either either side of the driveway on the front lawn. So 1.5 meters is kind of the number to remember here and then 15. So this will be available for everybody as well. If you're not sure, this graphic will be part of the presentation. Uh we do request that you use wood supports not uh t- bar or anything like that. So wood the wood supports we recommend are two inch by two inch or you have the w the wire metal posts uh quarter of an inch diameter or less which you see for more temporary style signs which more of the election sign kind of u the smaller ones. You'll see these used quite often temporary kind of signs. Uh we we do not want to see kind of Ubar posts or T- bar. Obviously when you're kind of hammering these into the ground there's utilities there's infrastructure that can be damaged as a result. We ask that people do not uh use those those bars for any installations. Uh there is some town advertising that can be utilized by by candidates if they wish. Uh there is cost assoc associated with purchasing it from the town. Uh that includes bus shelters. Um bus buses themselves have kind of display uh display boards on the sides of them. Uh the hockey rinks you'll see commonly the rink boards can be rented out and used for advertising as well as there's TV screens in our rec centers. So that would be permitted if you go through that process and pay the associated fees without uh vehicle signs is also regulated in the in the in the sign bylaw. So and it's kind of subject to the same criteria as a regular election sign. So it can only be displayed from September 11th, 2026 to the date of the election. It must be removed within 72 hours after the election has concluded. Uh again, the vehicle can only be displayed during that time. It cannot be displayed at a voting location during any of the voting hours. So, you would not be able to park it at the the advanced polls kind of on the way in. It would not be allowed to be on at the voting stations during those hours. >> Yes. >> It can be just not at the voting out. Yeah. It can be in a private parking lot without Yeah. Yeah. But it would still be subject to the to the the dates which would be September 11th and and you know in voting day, right? >> Excuse me, Rob. Can I just clarify? Um was the question a vehicle wrapped with campaign material and whether or not it can be parked on uh within the parking lot of let's say a town-owned community center. So campaign materials aren't allowed um on uh on the premises of town property. So you would have to avoid that. >> But you asked for a private property lot, did you not? Was that not the question? So sorry, my my misunderstanding. Yeah, >> thanks Rob. >> Yeah, it could be in a private like a private so or some sort of grocery store, something like that. Yeah, in regards to town property >> and actually if I may just take one. This is actually something that happens a lot because candidates sometimes uh do like to offer rides to voters uh to advanced voting locations or voting um or on voting day. And so if your vehicle is wrapped with campaign materials, you have to be aware that they wouldn't be permitted on the property of a voting location. >> Thank you. Uh in regards to ground signs and fascia signs, so we will see these a lot of times at your election offices depending on the size of the campaign. If they have like a a commercial unit, um they will often have, you know, banner signs, you know, facial signs, ground signs, which would be like a permanent installation uh kind of installed on the property. Um so, you know, they do require signed permits under the town of Oakville bylaw. And it is the candidates's responsibility to ensure those permits are are opened and and kind of that process is followed and just make sure it's it's you know erected, displayed and maintained within full compliance of the bylaw. So that that would fall on the candidate to ensure that that those steps have been taken. Third party we kind of talked a lot about third party tonight so I'm not going to get into it too much but you know it's uh you know refers to advertisements or other materials that support promote or oppose a candidate. So, you know, it would be your your trade units. It could be or trade unions. It could be a corporation. It could be an individual. Um, you know, third party election signs are also regulated by by the town um sign bylaw. Um, you know, so you know, it should the the election sign shall include the name of the registered third party, the municipality where it's registered, you know, a name, telephone number, sorry, telephone number, mailing address, or email address where the registered third party may be contacted regarding the third party election sign. Um there is a you know anyone who is a thirdparty advertiser who plans plans to advertise in the town of Oakville is required to register with the town clerk uh prior to incurring any any expenses and there is a form that can be completed through our our clerk's office. So uh I think we have lots of information on that so I won't go too f too much further into third party but it is also outlined in our election sign section of the bylaw. Uh so in regards to enforcement kind of how are we going to be doing this? So you know our officers will be going out there proactively and reactive. So we'll go we'll respond to any complaints, but we will also proactively be conducting patrols. Um we're start as early as now. So if we see one now, we would address it immediately. However, and as obviously as we get closer to September 11th, our our efforts will kind of increase from there. Um if you wish to re to enter a complaint, you know, we we ask that you do not email the elections team. We ask that you go through service Oakville and you can contact them via phone or by uh emailing serviceville.ca. that would generate a service request which you you can track and it would uh go into our system and be out for live dispatch. Uh you can also do it through your online services and it would be tracked through your email. Uh once a complaint is received it goes to a queue of calls for officers to to uh to attend and we would go and investigate and you would receive an update kind of what the outcome is uh based on that. So um any signs that erected contrary to the bylaw uh will be removed and they will be made available for pickup up to the election date. Um, so you know what happens once we we pick them up is they kind of we have like an on-site secure storage. Um, so if you wanted to kind of pick up your signs or retrieve any signs that were removed by our officers, you would have to make an appointment. You know, unfortunately we we do not allow allow dropins for that. It is there is a bit of an administrative process we must follow. Uh, so we ask that if you would like to book an appointment. You can do so by contacting our office and the phone number is listed there. Uh extension 7395 or by email would probably be the best best way to go and then they can uh book you in for for a time and date. There is a $60 fee for every appointment that you attend. So during that time you can pick up whatever signs are there but there is a flat rate of $60 per appointment and that will be right up to election day. After election day there's there's no ability to pick up the signs anymore. Uh we will ask for ID of the person attending just to verify who you know who's picking up the signs. Uh the location is actually going to be off of Yraftoft Road at the where the municipal enforcement services office is located. It's 430 Yraftoft Road at the rear of the transit facility. Uh so when you pull up you'll see this the entrows all the way to the back and we'll meet you outside at your specified time and we'll we'll be able to assist you with that process. after the election. Obviously, we understand, you know, it's, you know, it's a busy it's a busy uh busy evening for everybody, but there is a 72-hour rule where you must uh remove all signs within 72 hours after voting day. Uh we will we'll honor the 72 hours obviously, but we won't we won't be out there till Friday, which I believe is the 30th after 12:01 a.m. on the 30th. So, you'll have three full days. You know, we're not starting immediately after the polls close. We will honor the full three days. Now, after 1201 on the 30th, then any signs found would be removed and there is a $15 fee that is charged per sign. So, the $60 retrieval fee as well as the $15 um um per sign removed that is deducted from your your um signed deposit that has been collected by the town. So, that's not an invoice you get. That's money already collected by the town that they have kind of in place. Uh and that pretty much wraps up a lot of it. Was there any I know we had a few questions along the way. Yes, for for the signs. Uh no, they would just be disposed of at that point. Anything prior? Yeah, that's only for the collection fees, the $60. Yes, neighbors. Yeah, you should be you should be somewhat okay depending on the size of the lot and style of the housing. But yeah, we would obviously if it's on each independent property, we wouldn't be Yeah, as long as it's with the owner's consent on each property, you should be fine. There won't be an issue there. We wouldn't go out and verify and measure that unless there was a specific complaint for that as well. >> Yes, sir. >> No, he must wait until that day. No, no sign can be on display until September 11th, even on private loans. Correct. >> That's a good question. I don't I assume it. >> Yeah. Yeah, it'll be part of your report. [laughter] Yeah. >> Any other questions, guys? No. Any online questions? Are we good? >> Well, thank you everyone. Thank you for your time. Sorry. >> Yeah. >> Can you like Yeah. Um I mean It might the mall might not ask you to I mean they may have an issue with you kind of uh going on their property issuing flyers and things of that nature. It's not outlined specifically in our bylaw hand bills or any distribution of of flyers and that nature. You can't do it on town property but with permission of private property owners. I would say you might you may be able to depending on the property, right? But the mall and the security at the mall may ask you not to do that because it's you know they may not want soliciting on their property. So just something I would just you know encourage you to get permission from property owners before doing that. Thank you everyone. >> Thank you so much Rob. Um and and just to clarify a couple things. So with respect to campaign um finances and filing what I do recommend to candidates is take a look at form four. That's the form that you will have to submit um at the close of your campaign. It really helps candidates in my opinion understand what types of expenses and how you have to break them down or how you report them. And there is even a section for a signed deposit. So I think it's really helpful. It's a seven-page document, I believe. So I do find it really helpful to take a look at that and that might help you uh figure out how best to structure your documentation. Um, and then the other thing I wanted to clarify, there's a lot of conversation about thirdparty advertisers, and I can definitely see where there could be some confusion there. So, back in 2018, the province changed the legislation um, and corporations and trade unions were no longer eligible to donate to uh, candidate uh, campaigns. Uh so in place of that they introduced third-party advertising whereby um an individual, a corporation, a trade union could um support or oppose a candidate or candidates. Um however, as as Colin mentioned, it has to be completely separate. So the candidate and the third party advertiser, there's no discussion between them to to bring them on board to support or oppose. So, it's something that the thirdparty advertiser does completely independent of the of the candidate. Um, so I definitely recommend uh reviewing some information that's available in the province's guide if you wanted to clarify that. Um, but of course any questions, don't hesitate to to reach out to myself or a member of the election team. I see a question. So, with the exception of at the community center, um you can absolutely start campaigning the moment you file. So, if you've if you've registered with us and you are a registered candidate, the moment you walk out of town hall, you can start campaigning. And so, that includes putting together brochures, speaking with um eligible voters, um but definitely no campaign materials on town property. So that would be community centers and and other facilities like that. Um so do we have any other questions online? No. And do we have any other questions uh from anyone here? No. Uh well very uh a very big thank you uh to those candidates who joined us virtually but also the candidates um and potential candidates who have joined us in person. Uh a big thank you to David and Colin from the ministry for joining us, the elections team, and of course uh Rob from municipal enforcement on election signs. Uh we wish everybody uh the best. We are here to support you. Uh so our contact information if you filed, you have our contact information. Oh, I see a question. Yes, >> great question. Yes, we are going to be uh posting the presentations probably by end of day tomorrow. And again, as I mentioned as well, the uh the recording will be made available online. So if you wanted to refer back to any part of it, you you can do so. Yeah. Okay. So, thank you to everybody for joining us. We wish you the best and we're here to support you. So, have a great evening. Thank you.