Brampton auditors begin diving into Susan Fennell’s spending

Thestar.com
April 25, 2014
By San Grewal

Following revelations of lavish spending by Brampton Mayor Susan Fennell, including numerous first-class flights and $700-a-night hotel stays, a forensic audit is now underway.

“It couldn’t have come soon enough,” said Councillor John Sanderson, who pushed for the audit subsequently approved by council after revelations of Fennell’s profligate spending began appearing in media reports last fall.

Councillors’ expenses will also be investigated by Deloitte Canada, the audit firm selected by staff after a bidding process.

Sanderson, who had an initial interview with the audit team last week, said it wouldn’t be fair to detail the questions asked, but added: “They didn’t leave a stone unturned. They were very thorough and professional. I’m confident Brampton taxpayers will be well served by this audit, with what will be revealed and with its impact on changing how things are going to be done going forward.”

Sanderson is running against Fennell for the mayor’s job in this year’s election and has been one of her most vocal critics, after documents disclosed through a series of freedom of information requests revealed many of Fennell’s mounting costs to taxpayers, including several return flights within Canada at $1,800 each; $1,300 for Mandarin lessons and $500 to stay one night in Toronto for them; $1,500 worth of orchestra tickets and $2,100 for personalized barbecue aprons.

Documents revealed Fennell had discretionary spending of $186,000 over three years, up to last fall, and charged $185,000 for travel for herself and staff over five years ending in 2013. Recently updated statements from the city also show she charged, along with her staff, a total of $663,000 on city credit cards since the start of 2007.

Fennell has told councillors she didn’t pick the luxury hotels where she has stayed numerous times, and that $2 she charged for airport luggage carts was for others in her group, when all she had was her city credit card.

About $45,400 of the credit card charges were reimbursed: $24,300 by Fennell’s private gala; $10,600 by Fennell and $6,000 by a staffer.

John Corbett, the city’s chief administrative officer, said he would present the auditor’s report, outlining the findings and recommendations, to council after it’s completed, expected by the end of June.

“Council needs to move on from this,” Sanderson said. “It’s been a huge distraction from the business of the city.”

Councillors grilled Fennell about her spending at council two weeks ago, asking how gas charges put on her credit card in Brampton appeared on statements the same day as charges made in Florida, and why multiple charges for gas in Brampton appear on the same day. Fennell said the discrepancies were the result of a “billing process issue.”

They also asked why service charges for two different car dealerships appeared in the same period, while she had possession of a taxpayer-funded, $1,400-a-month leased Lincoln Navigator SUV. There were also questions about personal charges for travel and jewelry items for more than $2,000 that appeared on the credit card statements.

Fennell did not address the personal charges.