City Web site offers campaign finance info

 

By Linda Shepard

C & G Staff Writer

     Soon, information about how much Troy City Council and mayoral candidates spent on their election campaigns will be available to Internet users.

     Troy City Clerk Tonni Bartholomew said the new site — accessed from the city’s Web site at ci.troy.mi.us — should be up and running within a week or two.

     “We are starting to accumulate the information,” Bartholomew said, adding that the city will pay 25 cents per page for copies of financial campaign records filed with Oakland County. Costs to gather the information will be paid for with budgeted city funds. Bartholomew said she did not currently know an estimated total cost.

     The Troy City Council approved the addition to the city Web site by a 5-2 vote April 19. Mayor Louise Schilling and Council member Jeanne Stine voted against approval.

     “This is an increase in [city] cost and an increase in inefficiency for information already provided by the county,” Schilling said. 

     Stine agreed. “Since the information is already available, why do we need it?” she asked. Both Schilling and Stine also said Oakland County officials have promised to include campaign finance statements on their own Web site in the near future.   

      “They won’t tell us a time frame,” Bartholomew said. “They say they will have it shortly.” When that happens, the Troy city Web site will contain a link to the Oakland County site, www.co.oakland.mi.us, Bartholomew said. 

     The proposal to include campaign finance information on the Troy Web site was introduced by Troy resident Victor Lenivov, a recently unsuccessful Troy City Council candidate. “It would show we have nothing to hide,” he said.

     Several council members agreed. “There are ethical issues involved here,” said Council member Martin Howrylak. “I believe this is a step in the right direction.”

     Bartholomew said the format of the Troy Web site campaign finance statements would be similar to currently available City Council agendas and minutes. “It will be updated on the last day of every month,” she said. “Year round.”

     The site will address Troy City Council and mayoral candidates only, and will not include information about the campaign finances of school board of education candidates, Bartholomew said.

     You can reach Linda Shepard at lshepadr@candgnews.com