Grandinetti, Celetti, McDermid slapped with election penalties

Two former city councillors are prohibited from running in the next municipal election in 2026 after failing to file financial statements from unsuccessful campaigns last year.

The former councillors are David Celetti, Ward 5 councillor from 2003 to 2010; and Ozzie Grandinetti, who served as Ward 6 councillor from 2006 to 2010, and again in 2017 when his name was drawn from a fishbowl after Ross Romano vacated his council seat to become Sault MPP.

Also banned from running again in 2026 is Kurtis McDermid, a local entrepreneur who hasn't filed a financial statement from his losing campaign last year in Ward 3.

All three candidates told SooToday on Thursday they have no intention of ever running again.

Grandinetti, who finished second to Matthew Shoemaker among five mayoral candidates last year, said he ran because he was angry.

He was still very angry on Tuesday, spewing profanities when contacted by SooToday.

"I'm done with politics in the Sault," Grandinetti said.

The final deadline for filing candidate financial statements without penalty was 2 p.m. Monday.

"No, I'm not filing them," Grandinetti said.

"Not that I'm hiding anything. Put it this way: I spent a fraction of what [successful mayoral candidate Matthew Shoemaker]'s puppeteers spent on him.

"Not even close. I spent 13 grand total."

“I'm not a puppet like these other f*#king pompous a$&holes they’ve got over there.”

"I didn't file my papers. I just can't run for the next municipal election. I'm going to worry about getting a half-decent candidate in for the Conservatives for the Sault," Grandinetti said.

David Celetti said he submitted his campaign receipts but his statement wasn't considered complete.

Then, Celetti says he became ill in February.

"Under the weather wasn't the word. I was given a very short period of time to live. I've survived so far," he said.

"Being a city councillor, and the stress that comes with it, it's not worth it. It's definitely not worth putting my life on the line in the future, for what?

"The stress, have a heart attack and die? I don't think so," Celetti added.

Kurtis McDermid declined on Tuesday to be interviewed by SooToday, but issued this statement via email:

"I understand that the penalty for not filing my paperwork is that I cannot run in the next election or hold a seat prior to that point.

"I have no intentions of running again nor would I accept a vacant seat in the unlikely scenario it came to that. I also had no donors to my campaign," McDermid said.

The deadline for filing election candidate financial statements was 2 p.m. on March 31, 2023.

Candidates may apply before that date to the Superior Court of Justice for an extension if they feel they're unable to meet the deadline, but the city clerk's office reports none of the three delinquent candidates reached out about an extension.

Candidates who miss the March 31 deadline are still allowed to file a financial statement within 30 days if they pay the municipality a $500 late filing fee.

Anyone who hasn't filed a financial statement by the end of the 30-day grace period, and who didn't apply to the court for an extension prior to the deadline, is slapped with automatic penalties.

They forfeit their elected office if they won the election.

They are also ineligible to run for office or be appointed to fill a vacancy until after the 2026 election.

Candidates who haven't filed their financial statement by the end of the grace period may still file it for purposes of having their finances on the record.