A controversial end to a controversial regional council
Caslin casts deciding vote to send embattled CAO on tax-payer funded trade mission to China
Niagara’s regional council ended its term Thursday night the same way it began four years ago — with controversy.
Alan Caslin’s final act as regional chair was to cast a tie-breaking vote to allow regional chief administrative officer Carmen D’Angelo — whose hiring and contract extension are under investigation by Ontario’s Ombudsman — to attend a trade mission in China next week on the taxpayer’s dime.
Earlier this week the mayors of St. Catharines, Lincoln, Welland and Fort Erie jointly signed a letter objecting to D’Angelo’s participation in the Shanghai mission spearheaded by the Niagara Falls firm Canada BW Logistics.
The mayors have not disclosed the details of the letter they sent to both Caslin and D’Angelo. However, Walter Sendzik of St. Catharines, Sandara Easton of Lincoln and Frank Campion of Welland all told the Standard the ombudsman’s investigation, the lack of information provided to council and their concern that the CAO is not the appropriate person to represent the Region, were reasons behind their objection.
That D’Angelo was scheduled to go to the China International Import Expo in Shanghai from Nov. 6 to 10 was not known to councillors or the public until The Standard broke the story on Oct. 25.
During Thursday night’s council meeting, D’Angelo said he was invited to the expo by “Chinese businesses” he did not identify, and that
Dominic Ursini, the Region’s director of economic development, could not go because he was attending a conference in Toronto at the same time.
That conference, the HwyH2O conference, is being held three days after the trade mission, from Nov. 13 to Nov. 15.
The China trip will cost at least $4,228 plus HST per person. It is not clear if D’Angelo will be able to file additional expenses during the trip.
D’Angelo told councillors Thursday that he was prepared to go to China but after the “distraction that’s occurred” — a reference to The Standard’s coverage of the trade mission — he told the trip’s organizers on Tuesday that he would not go.
“I apologized that there was a distraction taking away from the good business, and I did provide the [Region] notice that I would not be attending,” D’Angelo said.
All three Niagara Falls councillors — outgoing councillors Selina Volpatti and Bart Maves, along with Bob Gale — and outgoing Grimsby councillor Tony Quirk rose to D’Angelo’s defense, insisting that he be allowed to go to Shanghai.
D’Angelo said if council directed him to go he would, but only if the businesses travelling to Shanghai want him to.
Quirk put forward a motion directing D’Angelo to attend the trade mission, subject to the approval of the businesses attending.
The vote on the motion was deadlocked. Twelve voted to send D’Angelo. Twelve voted to not to.
The decision then fell to Caslin — who placed 20th out of 22 candidates in St. Catharines during the municipal election — who broke the tie in favour of D’Angelo.
“I think this council made a statement that we want to be open for business from the very start. We have encouraged foreign investment in Niagara,” Caslin said. “I think for those reasons and the reasons that the businesses is engaged and asking the CAO attend, it would make sense for the CAO to go, in that case I vote yes.”
The vote split was emblematic of the deep political divisions on a regional council dominated by rival voting blocs. Those voting for D’Angelo to go were all members of the clique supported by Caslin, while those opposed were councillors who frequently pushed back against what has become known as “the cabal.”
Two councillors in their seats at the start of the meeting left before the vote. Outgoing Pelham Mayor David Augustyn left shortly after the meeting began and did not return. Welland Coun. Paul Grenier left prior to the vote and did not return to the chamber until it was over.
The councillors engaged in the debate Thursday did not mention that both Caslin and D’Angelo are subjects of the ongoing Ontario Ombudsman’s investigation.
The Ombudsman is investigating the tainted 2016 CAO selection process which resulted in D’Angelo’s hiring as well as his contract extension — both of which involve Caslin and his staff.
The Standard learned that before and during the 2016 CAO selection process, D’Angelo downloaded at least six documents about the position a candidate should not have, including confidential information about other CAO candidates, interview questions and answers to a written submission.
Those documents were created by Calsin’s policy director Robert D’Amboise and his-then communications director Jason Tamming.
After D’Angelo was hired Tamming was promoted to regional communications director and answers to the CAO.
D’Angelo also downloaded drafts of confidential chair’s reports on the CAO position.
In August, Caslin told council he extended and amended D’Angelo’s contract without their knowledge in 2017, giving the CAO a golden parachute of a year’s salary, and a termination clause giving him three years pay if he is fired with, or without, cause and a year’s pay if council doesn’t renew the deal in 2022.
The vote to send D’Angelo to China ended four controversial years at regional council.
Its first major decision in 2014 was to fire the integrity commissioner.
The position was restored a year later when Caslin could not manage the number of complaints filed against councillors.
Along with a string of integrity related issues, councillors also faced criticism over their expenses, attacked the local news media and illegally seized a Standard reporter’s computer and notes.
There were three Ontario Ombudsman’s investigation during this term of council, including the ongoing probe of the CAO hiring, and an Auditor General’s probe of the NPCA, a body currently controlled by the members of regional council on its board of directors.
None of these issues were mentioned by the outgoing regional councillors Thursday evening during self-congratulatory farewell speeches.
The new council will convene for the first time and elect a new regional chair on Dec. 6.