Published in the June 6, 2017 edition.

By MARK SARDELLA

WAKEFIELD – Nearly half of the candidates in the April 25 Town Election have still not filed the Campaign Finance Report that they are required to file 30 days after the election, according to the Town Clerk’s Office. Candidates in municipal elections are supposed to file financial disclosures eight days before the election and 30 days after the election.

All candidates are required under law to file, even if they ran unopposed and even if they raised no money and expended no funds on their campaigns. Financial Reports due 30 days after the election should have been filed by May 25. According to the Town Clerk’s Office, all candidates were provided with information on the requirements for filing Campaign Finance Reports.

Of the 23 candidates for various positions on the April 25 ballot, only 12 have filed their post-election Campaign Finance Reports. Those include five of the six candidates for Board of Selectmen, Phyllis J. Hull, Daniel L. Benjamin, Jr., Stephan N. Chase, Mehreen Butt and Edward F. Dombroski, Jr.

As of this morning, the Town Clerk’s Office had not received post-election Campaign Finance Reports from selectman candidate James A. Lapery.

Only one of the five School Committee candidates, Ashley S. Chase, has so far filed her Campaign Finance Report, listing no contributions received, no expenditures and no existing campaign fund. The other four candidates, Christopher J. Callanan, Anne-Marie Fortier, Evan M. Kenney and Gregory S. Powers, have not filed their post-election reports.

In the other contested race in the April 25 Election, one of the Constable candidates, Kevin J. Lopes, has submitted the required report. John J. Ruehrwein, Sr. and Robert S. Stewart have not.

Phyllis Hull filed her report on May 2. She reported a balance of $969.77 in her campaign account from the previous reporting period. Between April 19 and May 2, she reported receipts of $100 bringing her total to $1069.77. Hull spent $810 on advertising, signs, lumber and campaign events, leaving a balance of $259.77 in her campaign’s account. She listed no in-kind donations and no outstanding liabilities.

Benjamin’s report was received by the Town Clerk on May 4. He reported an ending balance from the previous reporting period of $2,012. He reported raising $200 in his post-election report, bringing his total to $2,212. He lists expenditures of $725, spent on printing and advertising, bringing his ending balance to $1,487. He reported no in-kind contributions or outstanding liabilities.

Dombroski filed his report on May 25. He listed an ending balance from the previous filing of $501.89. He reported raising $3,562.47 from April 15 to April 25, bringing his campaign account to $4064.36. He spent $3,964.36 on advertising, printing, postage, t-shirts, and campaign events, bringing the balance in his account to $100. He listed $2,124.03 in liabilities, which represents money that he lent to his own campaign.

Mehreen Butt’s report was received at the Town Clerk’s Office at 9:56 this morning. She reported a balance of $7250.05 from the previous reporting period. She listed no funds received between April 19 and May 24. She reported no in-kind donations and no outstanding liabilities. She reported spending $135 on a room rental, leaving a balance of $7,115.

Selectman candidate Stephan Chase reported that he received no campaign contributions, made no expenditures and has no campaign fund in existence.

Kevin Lopes filed on May 25, 2017 and reported raising no funds, expending no money and maintaining no campaign account in his run for Constable.

Town Clerk Betsy Sheeran ran unopposed in the Town Election and reported a pre-existing balance of $1,595.35 in her campaign fund. She neither raised nor spent any money on the last election and her report dated May 12, 2017 lists the same $1,595.35 as an ending balance in her account.

Municipal Gas & Light Commissioner John J. Warchol also ran unopposed and listed a balance of $504.29 from his previous filing. He neither raised nor expended any funds in the last election and his final Campaign Finance Report dated May 24, 2017 lists the same $504.29 ending balance.

Other unopposed candidates reported no funds raised, none spent and no campaign fund in existence. They include Alison Mehlman (Board of Health), William D’Amore (Planning Board) and Michael Bourque (Board of Library Trustees).

Unopposed candidates who have not filed their Campaign Finance Reports include Library Trustees Joseph S. Tringale and Susan M. Wetmore, Town Moderator William H. Carroll and Assessor Sebastian P. Tine.