Capital ward Coun. Shawn Menard understated his 2022 election sign expenses by $310.98, according to an independent audit that probed expenditures on screws, zip ties and wooden stakes.
The amount recorded in Menard’s financial statement for 2022 campaign signs was “inaccurate and is an apparent non-compliance” of the Municipal Elections Act, said the conclusion of the report by OXARO, which conducted the audit.
The audit also noted this was the only inaccuracy in Menard’s campaign financial statement.
The report, to be presented to the City of Ottawa’s election compliance audit committee on Sept. 9, makes no recommendation about potential penalties, as that would be the committee’s responsibility.
Candidates in municipal elections are permitted to reuse leftover materials such as campaign signs or office supplies in an election, but they must establish the current market value of the materials, based on what it would cost to purchase them again, and that current market value must be filed as a campaign expense.
According to a complaint, Menard did not adequately account for all his sign expenditures for the 2022 municipal election. Menard acknowledged that he put more than double the amount of lawn signs he claimed as a carry-forward from the 2018 campaign, said the complaint that cited Menard’s X account.
Menard also had larger signs on display at events and on public property during the 2022 campaign, the complaint said. “These were not listed as being carried forward from 2018 and would be new expenditures for his 2022 campaign.”
Additionally, Menard failed to include the cost of the wood used to display the large signs, the complaint alleged.
The audit found Menard filed $1,412.50 in election expenses for 250 small signs from the 2018 campaign when he should have filed $1,723.48 for 240 small signs and 10 large signs, a difference of $310.98.
Menard confirmed he was the only person involved in inventorying and counting the 2018 signs, and noted to the auditors an error in the count of 2018 signs, the audit report said.
The auditors
also obtained pictures of the wooden stakes Menard used and researched the current cost of other materials. A six-pack of four-foot wooden stakes is $11, the cost of 100 screws is $5.98 and a 100-pack of zip ties is $8.99.
Menard claimed $100 for materials
. OXARO’s recalculation put the total value at $98.12.
The complaint also pointed to a Sept. 6, 2022, video posted on X that showed two concrete deck blocks holding up signs. Two campaign workers told the auditors Menard stored old campaign signs under his deck. Menard said the deck blocks were not purchased as equipment.
According to Menard’s campaign filing, he spent a total of $27,199.10. The recalculation landed at $27,508.90. In both cases, it was under the spending limit of $29,508.90, the report said.
The audit found what he had previously disclosed to the committee, that there was a “minor clerical filing error,” Menard said in a statement on Sept. 5.
“Every other donation, expense and bank statement was accounted for and the campaign was well under the spending limit,” he said. “My team was grateful for the support of 79 per cent of people who put their trust in us amidst record turnout in Capital ward.”
The Menard audit is the latest chapter in a story going back to an application from a private citizen, Edward (Ted) Phillips, a retired Taggart executive, for an
election spending audit of Menard, fellow candidate Doug Thompson and Horizon Ottawa.
The election compliance audit committee initially rejected the application to audit Menard’s election spending on July 31, 2023. That decision was appealed to the Superior Court of Justice, which ordered the committee to appoint an auditor last February.
The committee decided in August 2024 to
refer the Horizon complaint to a prosecutor
after an independent audit found that the advocacy group, which had registered as a third-party advertiser for the 2022 municipal election, had collected ineligible contributions and that its financial records were insufficient.
At issue were expenses related to HorizonFest, a pre-election rally in September 2022. Costs for the event were incurred before Horizon Ottawa had registered as a third-party advertiser on Aug. 24. Those costs included three phone credit invoices for $517.24, a $300 liquor licence and an $80 tarp. A jar at HorizonFest collected $448.15 in donations.
In September 2024, the committee
voted not to commence legal proceedings against Thompson
. In that case, there were questions about the value of election signs used in a previous election, a campaign donation from Thompson’s wife that was misclassified, bank charges that were overstated by $34.05, miscellaneous purchases that were understated by $5.91 and a missing receipt for $21.95. Thompson lost the election in Osgoode ward.
The committee decided that Thompson’s audit and the procedures leading up to it “have served the public interest sufficiently.”
Menard, Thompson and Horizon Ottawa have all expressed opposition to
Tewin, a development proposed for 445 hectares near Carlsbad Springs
through a partnership between the Algonquins of Ontario and Taggart Investments.
Tom Ledgely, Horizon Ottawa’s co-ordinator, said Horizon had not been notified of a court date in last year’s decision to refer to a prosecutor.
“I don’t think it’s worth the time of the committee or the courts to look over such small violations,” he said.
Menard said he would reserve further comment for the election compliance audit committee.
John Pappas, a lawyer who previously represented Phillips at the committee, did not respond to a request for comment.
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