The contest for Hawke's Bay Regional Council seats this year came at great cost to some.
It paled, however, compared to the amount of expense, and number of donations received in the 2013 local body election.
In the months following an election, all candidates are required to declare the amount they spent on their campaigns and any donations over $1500.
During this year's local body elections, five Hawke's Bay Regional Council candidates declared donations.
In the 2013 elections substantial financial backing from Hawke's Bay Growers was received across Councillors Rick Barker, Peter Beaven, Tom Belford and Rex Graham - totalling around $22,000.
Although three of these councillors received backing again this election, it was not to the same extent, totalling only $10,093.
Likewise, while the Growers Action Group-endorsed candidates ran the most expensive campaigns in 2013 - all costing over $10,000 - only one did this year.
Rather than name recognition, council chairman Rex Graham said he thought he and the other Hastings councillors had spent so much less this election by "being thrifty".
"That first year we really hit it hard," he said, "[this year] we still wanted to run an aggressive campaign, it just didn't cost as much".
As well as reusing signs, and not printing as many advertisements, Mr Graham said they also had a large number of volunteers working with them.
This election Mr Graham said they fought the "war" themselves, rather than hiring a marketing company.
Joining councillors Graham, Belford, and Beaven in declaring donations this year were Napier councillors Alan Dick and Paul Bailey.
Re-elected Mr Dick received one anonymous donation of $1500, while new councillor Mr Bailey claimed the highest total of donations this year - although the $4687 he received was a far cry of the highest amount of $16,455 donated to Mr Graham in 2013.
Mr Bailey said he felt the donations he received - which had all been unsolicited - reflected the community's support for the issues he advocated in the election.
Three of his donations, totalling $1798, were from anonymous donors. The remaining amount was donated by fruit and vegetable grower Bostock Group.
The new councillor said he was happy to accept the donation from John Bostock, as their values were similar.
"There were other donations I had been offered which I actually turned down," he said.
"I don't believe in taking money from people who I don't think agree with my positions, I look at it as a values thing."
The donation from Bostock of $5718 between Mr Bailey, and Mr Belford was far less than the $15,784 total donated in 2013 to Mr Beaven's, Mr Belford's and Mr Graham's campaigns.
This election, Mr Belford was one of only three candidates to run a campaign costing more than $10,000.
His total of $24,271 was trailed by his unsuccessful competitor for the Hastings seat, Cynthia Bowers, who spent $13,167.
The campaign of unsuccessful Napier candidate Martin Williams cost $11,811.
Unsuccessful Ngaruroro candidate Dan Ross spent the lowest amount on his campaign, with no expenses recorded.