Region denies Standard’s FOI request for expenses
Niagara Region has denied The Standard’s freedom of information request for expense records of regional councillors.
In a letter sent to The Standard, the Region’s information and privacy co-ordinator, Kristine Racicot, said the request for records — which included all original expense sheets submitted by councillors, copies of receipts and paperwork supporting all claims made — was denied by acting clerk Frank Fabiano.
The letter said The Standard’s request was denied because “Niagara Region will make all expense records publicly accessible as of Jan. 16, 2018.”
The denial of the records also follows a similar request for records by Regional Chairman Alan Caslin. Following Caslin’s request — made several days after The Standard’s — Racicot sent a letter to the newspaper asking permission to put its request “on hold.”
In that letter, Racicot said she could reopen The Standard’s request if the information published by the Region does not contain records the paper is asking for.
The Standard denied Racicot’s request.
Angus Scott, The Standard’s editor-in-chief, said the paper intends to appeal the Region’s decision.
Requests for interviews to both Fabiano and Racicot went unanswered Thursday afternoon.
The Standard began to take a closer look at the expenses of regional councillors last month, accessing records showing how councillors spend public dollars. Those records — which reflected only a portion of this term of the council — showed councillors billing taxpayers for trips to appear on Toronto radio shows, for tickets to charity events, for charitable donations made in their name and for tens of thousands of dollars in legal expenses related to integrity commissioner reports.
On Sept. 28, The Standard submitted a freedom of information request for all councillor expenses and supporting documentation for this term, which began on Dec. 11, 2014.
On Oct. 2, Caslin sent out a press release saying he was asking for councillor expense records going back 20 years.
The Region’s letter asking to put The Standard’s FOI requests on hold was sent on Oct. 5.
In an email sent Thursday, The Standard asked Fabiano and Rocicot if Caslin’s FOI request was also denied because expense records are scheduled to be published on Jan. 16, or if it is still being processed.
The Standard also asked if the records scheduled for release in January will include the same level of detail the newspaper requested.
In an emailed response from Jason Tamming, director of strategic communications public affairs, the municipality said Caslin’s ongoing freedom of information request encompasses numerous FOI requests seeking material on councillor expenses.
“In this case, the most efficient and effective use of staff resources is to address a number of FOI requests through a single comprehensive response that provides all records going back 10 years,” the statement said.
“There are a variety of factors that are considered when producing responses to FOI requests which include, but are not limited to, the complexity of the request and the ease of availability of the information requested.
“Niagara Region is committed to adhering to the legislative requirements of the (Freedom of Information) Act.”
After The Standard published stories on councillor expenses, council debated the issues for hours on Sept. 21, which resulted in a new, interim expense policy being passed.
During the debate, Port Colborne Coun. David Barrick said if the Region is going to publish councillor expenses, it should publish the records of councillors going back 20 years.
Barrick was informed by staff that expense records are destroyed after seven years and some of the records he wants no longer exist.
Barrick insisted a “reasonable search” for those records could be conducted.
Remuneration records are kept permanently, and Caslin has asked for them also as part of his FOI request.
The issue of how and when councillor records will be released is set against the backdrop of significant staffing changes at the municipal government.
The employment of former information services manager Else Khoury ended in late September. Shortly after, both regional clerk Laura Bubanko and deputy regional clerk Natasha Devos resigned. glafleche@postmedia.com twitter.com/grantrants