John Taylor: Paul Sharman

Paul Sharman: Candidates may register after Jan. 1, but may not accept campaign donations until they have. , according to Hamilton Spectator. Paul Sharman and Blair Lancaster spent between $5,000 and $10,000, and John Taylor, a mere $3,934. With increasing reliance on social media, costs could drop significantly, but still, brochures and signs are costly. Name recognition is high for incumbents, but newbies need all the notice they can get. Incumbents also have vast email lists they've accumulated for their newsletters, which aren't available to other candidates, and postage is expensive for those who can't rely on volunteers to hand deliver the word. With everyone so busy, it's hard to recruit enough volunteers. Lets hope there will be candidate debates where you can compare their ideas. October 27th is Ontario's municipal election day, and Burlington's candidate list is growing, many new to politics, many lifelong residents. If voters share their enthusiasm we could have an interesting election. Elections aren't cheap. In 2010, the four major mayoral candidates each spent between $80,000 and $100,000, and successful candidates for council spent lots, too. Marianne Meed Ward spent more than $20,000. Rick Craven and Jack Dennison each exceeded $13,000, with substantial donations from developers and business. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.