I WONDER | Aren't candidates supposed to have a 'paid for by' line on materials?

But county elections supervisor Susan Boller said Tuesday that Siders had had already realized the omission and reported it to the Kansas Government Ethics Commission, which is the entity that handles these kinds of issues, even for local races.

“Sarah actually did realize that was omitted accidentally,” Boller said. “She’s already taken the appropriate steps to try to make it right.”

“We actually caught that last week,” Siders said Wednesday. “It was a mistake.”

She said while they were going through the design process back-and-forth for various campaign materials, the line was left off of a postcard they sent out.

“We notified the ethics committee and sent them an image,” she said. “They said it happens a lot. They said there’s a first-time exception, especially if you self-report.”

Because of that, Siders doesn’t believe the commission will issue any sort of penalty.

She said that of course the exception wouldn’t apply if her campaign made the same mistake again.

“We’re complying with their request,” she said. “They didn’t have anything for us to do at this point. We’re on top of it.”

Siders said voters are welcome to reach out to her if they have any questions.

Boller said the state requires city commission candidates in first-class cities (which includes Manhattan) to appoint a treasurer. It’s part of their filing packet. Siders’ treasurer is Caronda Moore.

The only candidate who didn’t appoint a treasurer is Aaron Estabrook. Boller said he filed an affidavit of assumption, which means at the time he didn’t think he would collect more than the $1,000 limit.

Other candidates have to appoint a treasurer within a certain period after they file for election.

Boller said the county collects forms from candidates, but it’s the Government Ethics Commission that ensures candidates are complying with election rules and makes decisions about penalties if someone has broken the rules.

“It’s their responsibility to contact the candidate and let them know if there’s something missing or that they didn’t turn in,” Boller said. “They manage getting that information.”

Siders is one of eight candidates vying for three spots on the city commission. The other candidates include Aaron Estabrook, Mark Hatesohl, Kaleb James, current commissioner Linda Morse, Maureen Sheahan, Mary Renee Shirk and Vincent Tracey.

To submit a question, send by email to questions@themercury.com, or by regular mail to Questions, P.O. Box 787 Manhattan, KS 66505.