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Moore acknowledged Prairie Wild bids on city contracts, but said “it’s a small portion of our company.” Hein’s release said Prairie Wild recently bid on a contract worth more than $600,000. It said Moore’s mayoral campaign is based on expanding services that would affect her consulting business.

Hein could not be reached for further comment on the news release Tuesday afternoon.

Moore said she would not take part in any votes that directly involve Prairie Wild. Moore described the company she and Swystun run as aimed at working with municipalities to prepare them for the future.

Hein’s news release said even if Moore did excuse herself from votes that could affect her company, she would be unable to deliver on the promises she made during the election campaign.

“She would be barred from doing the very things that a mayor must do, owing to conflict of interest concerns over her family business’s financial interests,” it added.

Hein’s news release was his first of the campaign and suggests he wants to be taken seriously as a candidate. He entered the race the day nominations closed, and has appeared at debates wearing jeans, running shoes and a T-shirt.

The letterhead on his news release includes the slogan “Respect for taxpayers.”

Moore and Swystun, a former city councillor who ran unsuccessfully for mayor in 2006 and 2009, founded Prairie Wild in 1995.

Moore also works as a director in the provincial department of Social Services.

The provincial government introduced tighter rules around conflict of interest for municipalities last year following an inquiry that found a reeve representing a rural municipality near Regina stood to benefit financially from a development.

Council members now face clearer definitions of conflicts and must provide more information when declaring conflicts.

Incumbent Don Atchison and longtime city councillor Charlie Clark are also running for mayor.

ptank@postmedia.com

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