Electors unhappy with campaign spending during the upcoming municipal election now have recourse.

The city is setting up a municipal election compliance audit committee, charged with ensuring all candidates for the positions of mayor, councillors and school board trustees obey election spending limits.

The city recently put out a callout for three qualified citizens with financial expertise to serve on the committee. They had until July 30 to apply.

“This is a new change,” Angie Hache, Greater Sudbury's chief returning officer said. “It is the result of legislation introduced recently by the province.”

She said if a member of the electorate suspects a candidate is overspending their limit and they submit an application, that can trigger the meeting of the audit committee to examine the claim.

“Election candidates must have a certified audited statement if they spend more than $10,000,” Hache said. “Except for the mayoral race, most candidates come well under spending $10,000,” she said.

This year, the public will have a chance to review candidates' election expenses on the city's website once they are submitted to the clerk's office.

Candidates have until March 25, 2011 to comply unless they receive an extension from the city. But they have to ask for an extension before Dec. 31, 2010.

During the 2006 municipal election, John Rodriguez, who was eventually elected mayor, spent $54,480 on his campaign.

Dave Courtemanche, then the incumbent mayoral candidate, spent $49,368. Lynne Reynolds, another mayoral candidate, spent $38,753.

The spending limit for mayoral candidates in 2006 was $97,000.

A $200 per diem subsidy will be paid to the successful applicants for each meeting of the audit committee they attend, Kate Furlotte, Greater Sudbury corporate communications officer, said in a city release.

The term of office for the citizens on the audit committee is from Dec. 1, 2010 to Nov. 30 2014.

Another issue that can be raised by the public during a campaign relates to election signage.

“The audit committee does not deal with that,” Hache said. “That is dealt by our bylaw department. If there is a problem with signs being placed on city property the candidate will be called and asked to remove them.”

If signs are stolen or defaced that is a matter for police, she said.