Into the swamp
‘There’s a swamp here that we need to drain,’ former mayor says
Former mayor Andy Wells accuses city council of illegal spending
Former St. John’s mayor Andy Wells says he wants to take the city’s current council to court over municipal spending he says was illegal.
Following Monday’s regular council meeting, he lambasted the council — and some city staff — to media.
Wells said some financial decisions, including an increase to the city manager’s salary and a $700,000 hockey subsidy, were made behind closed doors, violating the Freedom of Information (FOI) bylaw he worked on during his time on council.
“I think a lot of these expenditures that they’ve made over the past few years are illegal. They’re contrary to the FOI bylaw, 2005. There’s nothing in the ATIPPA legislation to justify the decision, that says that they can’t discuss these matters publicly,” he said.
“So I’ve got a lawyer retained and I’m seriously looking at taking this council to court, under Section 403 of the city act, for deliberately or ignorantly violating their own — our own — bylaws.
“There’s a Section 403 which provides a $5,000 fine or 30 days in jail. Now, I prefer to lock ’em up — that would be my option with all this crowd if they’re found guilty. I’ve got a lawyer looking at it. I honestly believe that they are guilty.”
Taking a page from U.S. president-elect Donald Trump’s book, Wells suggested the City of St. John’s has a swamp that needs to be drained.
“It was a big deal in the last U.S. election to drain the swamp. Well, I think we got a swamp here that we need to drain,” he said. “These people have been dining out on the taxpayers for the last six years. The taxpayers have been on the menu and the menu is very expensive.”
Wells said that along with taking council to court, he hopes for an inquiry into the spending. He said he made a request to Municipal Affairs Minister Eddie Joyce a few months ago to that effect.
“Where the minister feels that a council is spending or not following its procedures properly, there’s a provision for an investigation, and I think there is sufficient evidence, and I’m putting that together to launch an investigation into this council,” Wells said.
“In fact, if I was the minister, I’d suspend this council completely. I’d put them out of office and appoint an administrator till the next municipal election, so this crowd cannot spend any more money than is absolutely necessary. They should do the payrolls and nothing else. They’re irresponsible. They’re dishonest. They have not levelled with the people of St. John’s. They’ve spent money behind closed doors. They’ve been advised by the legal department and the financial department and the city manager in these matters, so they’re all complicit in an attempt, as far as I’m concerned, to defraud and fool the taxpayers of St. John’s, and they’re not going to get away with it as long as I’m alive.”
Wells would not confirm or deny whether he plans to run in the 2017 municipal election.
“Listen, at my age, my mileage, that’s still long-run. I don’t know. All I know, if I’m around I will have to give it serious consideration. I just — I don’t know.”