Ex-mayor hints at another run, challenges communication allowance

A former Saskatoon Mayor says incumbent candidates vying for a seat on city council have an unfair advantage over non-incumbents.

On Thursday, Henry Dayday, who served as mayor from 1988-2000,held a news conference at the Nutana Royal Canadian Legion, where he questioned the current city council's bylaw which gives them $10,000 for communications expenses.

In 2012, city council passed a bylaw giving 10 city councillors a $10,000 communications allowance and the mayor a $120,000 allowance, which themajority ofwas spent on a chief communications officer.

"They are already paid within their salary for that allowance," he said.

Daydaynot ready to announce run for mayor

The former mayor hinted at another run for office in the upcoming fall election. However, first, he'd like to know if incumbents are spending their communications allowances on election materials. This comes a day after Ward 6 Councillor Charlie Clark announced his intentions to run for mayor.

• Saskatoon Councillor Charlie Clark launches mayoral run

"What I am saying is, before I announce I want to be clear about this because it's close to a million dollars of taxpayers money and before us newcomers enter this race, we want to know that we didn't give them a headstart."

Under the current bylaw councillors are prohibited from usingthe allowance for the purposes of fundraising for a councillor or for raising election funds. What is allowed includes paid advertisements related to city business, messages to community associations, newsletters, and event announcements.

Dayday said if he decides to run for mayor and wins, he will repeal the communications allowance. But if his fellow councillors don't budge, he'll simply give back the mayor's communications allowance.

"It's a misuse of taxpayer money. I'm not going to take that money from people who live on a minimum income," Dayday said. "I would not take any of that money for communication purposes. I'd have to think about the communication officer because I'm not sure how the mayor's communication officer works."