Should taxpayers have the right to know who is contributing financially to a municipal candidate’s campaign?
So far three candidates have declared they are running for Mayor of Moncton and all of them are keeping tight lipped on those details.
While candidates aren’t required to disclose who their donors are, councilor Brian Hicks disagrees and says it’s breech of trust.
Hicks says it has an impact on residents’ confidence that members of council be honest and transparent.
By accepting money from secret donor, Hicks says a candidate could be putting their personal interests before others’.
He says if council is approached by a land developer, sports team or entertainment promoter, it would be impossible to know if they contributed financially to any member.
Should he and councilor Butler decide to run again to represent Ward 3, Hicks says they have agreed to share details on their financial contributors.
