Michael D. Chapman, candidate for council has no assets and no liabilities, and works as both a caretaker for Metro Vancouver and a garbage person for Bowen Waste. This information is listed online at the bottom of his nomination form to run in the 2014 election. While the financial disclosure statement of each candidate was posted online as their papers were filed, this information came off the Municipality’s website shortly after. Chapman argued that in order to comply with its own bylaws and for the sake of transparency, Bowen Island Municipality should re-post that information.
“The fact that we posted that information originally was a mistake,” said the municipality’s Chief Administrative Office, Kathy Lalonde. “Legally, we have to post the nomination papers for thirty days after they are filed, but we don’t have to post the candidates financial information.”
Lalonde said she asked the candidates if any of them wanted their financial information posted on-line, and Chapman was the only one who replied, yes.
Chapman says that this information is critical in terms of candidate transparency.
“If someone has assets in a development like Cape Roger Curtis and is running for council, voters should know. If a candidate is heavily invested in the Liquid Natural Gas industry, voters should know. If a candidate has huge debts and liabilities, voters should know,” says Chapman. “There are no numbers listed, so it shouldn’t be a problem to list that information. Also, that same information is listed with the nomination forms in both North Vancouver and West Vancouver.”
When Chapman called on his fellow candidates to work on the issue as show of “collective commitment to transparency,” only one, Yvette Gabrielle, responded.
On Monday, Lalonde said that the information was available for viewing at the municipality for any member of the public who wanted to see it. Then after some consideration said that due to a lack of clarity in the bylaw that requires nomination forms to be posted for thirty days, the municipality would re-post candidates’ financial information.
