Richmond Hill council votes to have election debts paid

Perrelli to repay unauthorized expense; mayor’s legal costs paid

Yorkregion.com
Dec. 16, 2014
By Kim Zarzour

It was, by most accounts, the messiest election in years, and now it’s time for the clean-up.

There were expense scandals and failed court cases that cost the town and Mayor Dave Barrow; now the two candidates who ran against the mayor are being asked to pay up and see the debts repaid.

The town’s integrity commissioner told council last night its investigation found former councillor and mayoral candidate Carmine Perrelli did breach town procedures when he spent $5,434.21 without authorization.

Perrelli used the public funds to pay for a controversial townwide mailing, charging the town despite being told several times he did not have authority to do so, according to the integrity commissioner report by Amberley Gavel.

A motion to deduct the funds as a set-off from Perrelli’s severance payout was passed by a majority of councillors, with Ward 1 Councillor Greg Beros and Ward 2 Councillor Tom Muench the two dissenting votes.

Barrow also suggested the councillor code of conduct be reviewed.

Councillors also voted last night to pay Barrow the outstanding amount in legal fees he incurred in defending himself against court action by another mayoral opponent, Sridhar Methuku.

Shortly before the October municipal election, an Ontario Superior Court judge tossed out Methuku’s charges against the mayor and ordered the Richmond Hill resident to reimburse a portion of the mayor’s legal fees.

Barrow, however, was still out of pocket for the remaining $53,061.85, something Deputy Mayor Vito Spatafora warned, in his motion presented to council last night, could deter potential candidates from seeking office in future elections.

“A member of town council could be left in an adverse financial state, if despite being found not to have contravened the Municipal Conflict of Interest Act, only a portion of his or her legal costs are recoverable from the applicant in the matter, as is typically the case,” the motion stated.

To read the Integrity Commissioner’s full report, visit bit.ly/1wWf3xV