The cost of getting elected

Mayoral winner John Funnell and runner-up Zane Cozens were the big spenders in last year’s local body election race.

By Chris Marshall

Expense returns submitted in December reveal Funnell spent $22,979.50 on public relations advice, web and social media publicity, newspaper advertisements, hoardings and brochures while Cozens was not too far behind in spending $21,566.49 on ads in the newspaper and on television, on social media promotion and digital and static billboards.

The two other mayoral candidates – David Trewavas and Kevin Taylor, who finished third and fourth respectively – were frugal by comparison with Trewavas spending $4060.70 on signs and an ad and Taylor $3935.84 on signs, social media boosts and radio ads.

On the population-based formula, Taupō mayoral candidates are allowed to spend up to $30,000.

When these figures are divided by votes won per candidate, Funnell spent $4.10 per vote Cozens $5.08, Trewavas $1.36 and Taylor $1.37.

Both Trewavas and Cozens declared donations (those over $1,500 must be made public) with Trewavas actually gleaning more in donations than he declared in expenditure – a total of $4,180, made up of $2,000 from Wairarapa Moana Farms Masterton and $2,180 from the Trewavas Family, Morrinsville.

Cozens was given $1,505 by Malcolm Flowers towards the cost of advertising.

The biggest spender in the race to be a councillor was Christine Rankin who spent $5650 on her online campaign and billboards, over half of which was covered by one $3,000 donation by L. McDonald.

But the expenses information reveals that forking out didn’t necessarily pay off.

While incumbents Rankin, Taylor (as a councillor), Yvonne Westerman and Rachel Shepherd were in the top six spenders and got back in, number four spender Ann Tweedie (spending $2,944.97 on signs and flyers) and number five Richard Cade ($2,508.44 on flyers, posters and ads) finished eleventh and fourteenth respectively in the 17-candidate race in the Taupō Ward where candidates could spend up to $20,000.

The most economical winning candidates were Kylie Leonard (Taupō East Rural Ward) who declared nil expenditure, as did Ngahuia Foreman (Te Papamareamarea Māori Ward). Both wards have an allowable spending limit of $3,500.

Nominations required a $200 deposit, refundable provided the candidate received more than 25 per cent of the votes of the lowest successful candidate – meaning Mark Wynyard (whose election expenses return is yet to be published) and Katrin Wilson missed out on the refund.