Mayors object to D’Angelo China trip
Sendzik, Redekop, Easton and Campion sign letter objecting to CAO going on trade mission
Four Niagara mayors have signed a joint letter objecting to Niagara Region chief administrative officer Carmen D’Angelo travelling to a Chinese import expo next week, The Standard has learned.
The letter, sent to D’Angelo and out-going Regional Chair Alan Caslin, was signed by St. Catharines Mayor Walter Sendzik, Welland Mayor Frank Campion, Lincoln Mayor Sandra Easton and Fort Erie Mayor Wayne Redekop.
The letter was a response to news, published by The Standard on Oct. 25, that D’Angelo would be going to the China International Import Expo in Shanghai from Nov. 6 to 10.
The trade mission, spearheaded by Canada BW Logistics in Niagara Falls, will include about 15 members, largely business people. D’Angelo and one regional staff member from the economic development department are scheduled to attend the trip which costs $4,238 plus HST per person. A Region spokesperson did not say what that cost included, or if staff will also be able to file expenses related to the trip.
Campion did not respond to interview requests to discuss the letter and Redekop declined to discuss it saying it was not intended as a public document.
Easton said she signed the letter because she feels D’Angelo should not be the face of the Region in China.
Although she would not discuss the particulars of the letter, Easton said the political head of government would be the proper representative.
Since Caslin was defeated in last week’s municipal election and a new chair will be chosen in December, she said council should decide who is going on the trip.
She also said that the Ontario Ombudsman investigation into D’Angelo’s 2016 hiring and Caslin’s unilateral extension of his contract, also played into her decision.
“The point is that there needs to be a discussion at council, but we were not told anything,” she said.
“There should be an appropriate discussion at council.”
Sendzik said he could not discuss the letter or speak for the other mayors, but said from his point of view, the lack of information provided to council, the ombudsman’s probe and that there other economic development staff that could “achieve the objective of the trip,”means D’Angelo does not need to go.
He said there is no Region policy requiring council to be informed when the CAO travels abroad, which is something Sendzik said should be changed by the next council.
“At the very least, the CAO and the chair have a duty of explanation to council,” he said.
In an email response to a Tuesday interview request for this story, D’Angelo said he would call The Standard Wednesday to discuss the trip. The Standard did not hear from D’Angelo Wednesday.