Fort St. John councillor fined $650 by Elections BC over campaign finances

FORT ST. JOHN, B.C. — A City of Fort St. John councillor has been fined for his financial activities during his last local election campaign.

Trevor Bolin received a $650 fine from Elections BC (EBC) for overspending his legal amount under the Local Elections Campaign Financing Act (LECFA).

According to an EBC enforcement notice, Bolin filed a disclosure statement stating his expenses in the 2022 general local elections were $3,613.39. 

Bolin acted as his own financial agent for his campaign, with himself and his wife as the only donors. Bolin reported he contributed $2,500 and his wife contributed $1,113.39. 

However, the electoral finance audit and assessment (EFAA) team found Bolin contributed $1,396.39 in addition to his reported $2,500 donation. 

On May 28th, Bolin told Energeticcity.ca it was a miscalculation not motivated by malice.

“I overspent and I paid it the following year, which they allow you to do because of the amount, and that’s what it is,” said Bolin. 

Bolin also addressed the matter in a Facebook post that day. 

The councillor said the overspending resulted from reusing lawn signs in his 2018 election campaign, which was not disclosed.

“I missed disclosing signs that were reused and paid for in the 2018 election, and an invoice from a mail out,” he wrote. “This amount had to then come from my 2023 annual allowed contribution amount, since I did not and do not accept donations as a councillor.”

According to Bolin, the fine has been paid and is resolved. 

“[I thank Elections BC] for keeping the system current and making sure that everybody’s disclosing as they should be,” said Bolin.

Bolin told Energeticcity.ca he will continue to serve the people of Fort St. John. 

“This is a good learning lesson to not try to do BC Elections forms quickly and make sure that you take the time to get the information that they’re going to review and get it completed,” said Bolin. 

This comes after Elections BC fined a former mayoral candidate nearly $5,000 for six alleged administrative violations related to the most recent Dawson Creek municipal election.