Brampton council audit to be made public
Audit will report on the spending of Brampton’s councillors and mayor.

Thestar.com
July 15, 2014
By San Grewal

A forensic audit investigating Mayor Susan Fennell’s spending will be publicly released Aug. 6.

In a report made public Friday, city staff recommend the audit be given simultaneously to council and a soon-to-be-appointed integrity commissioner. There had been concern among councillors and residents that the commissioner, once appointed, would get the audit first with taxpayers having to possibly wait until after October’s election for the results.

The audit is addressed in a report before council Wednesday. Also on the agenda for Wednesday’s 1 p.m. meeting is the issue of 302 non-compliant contracts the city entered into since 2007. A Star investigation found staff routinely broke the rules when procuring work.

“The results of the forensic audit will be provided to the public in an open and transparent manner,” Brampton’s chief administrative officer John Corbett stated in an email Monday.

“The audit is in its final stages. Once completed, the report will be simultaneously forwarded by the external auditor to all members of city council and the integrity commissioner. In addition, the city clerk will receive a copy of the report for inclusion in the council agenda for August 6.”

The forensic audit by Deloitte Canada includes the spending of all council members, but it was Fennell’s expenses that prompted the investigation.

Fennell said in an email she wants the report made public soon and is concerned about the cost of the audit.

“Once the forensic audit report is complete, the report must be made available to the integrity commissioner and all Brampton residents - well before the October election,” Fennell said.

“I am concerned with two things, the amount of time it has taken, and I’m concerned with the escalating cost. I said that directly to the auditors.”

It was a series of freedom of information requests by the Star that revealed Fennell’s spending. She was Canada’s highest paid mayor in 2012 (and would have held the title in 2013 but for a secret salary alteration she requested at the end of the year).

Her spending included: $500 to $800-a-night stays at hotels, such as the InterContinental in London, the Fairmont Chateau Whistler and the Chateau Laurier in Ottawa; $1,800 flights to Ottawa, Saskatoon and Quebec; $1,300 Mandarin lessons; $2,100 for personalized BBQ aprons; $1,500 for orchestra tickets; $1 iTunes downloads and $2 airport luggage cart rentals.

The documents revealed Fennell expensed $186,000 over three years, charged $185,000 for travel for her and her staff over five years and spent, along with her staff, $663,000 on City of Brampton credit cards over six years.

The credit card items included numerous personal charges for items such as airfare, jewelry and department store purchases, as well as regular charges in Miami Beach where Fennell owns a condo.

Some of the charges were reimbursed.

“The public is waiting for this audit,” said Councillor John Sanderson, who pushed for the investigation and introduced the motion in council. “I’m glad to hear that taxpayers will get to see it soon and at the same time as anyone else. We need to get this audit, find out what rules were broken and start fixing things. It’s a report card for the residents we answer to.”

Sanderson, who is running against Fennell for mayor, said that even though his own purchase of tickets to local events used by family and friends was allowed, the detailed audit helps remind council that, “just because it’s technically allowed, we need to think about every cent we spend that belongs to the taxpayer.”

Councillor Gael Miles also said she’s glad the audit will be going directly to the public.

Councillor Elaine Moore wants to go a step further.

“I’m going to request that the entire audit be put on the city’s website prior to Aug. 6. Taxpayers should be able to come to council on Aug. 6 with the information in hand so they can voice their concerns and share their suggestions. This audit belongs to them. They paid for it. It’s theirs.”