Fennell announces she must undergo emergency spinal surgery
Outgoing Brampton mayor to miss council meeting on forensic audit of spending
Outgoing Brampton Mayor Susan Fennell released a statement just after 3 p.m. Friday, announcing she has to undergo emergency spinal surgery.
The news comes after she said she was “rushed to Brampton Civic Hospital with severe back pain” on Oct. 15. She said an MRI showed two herniated discs.
“As a result of her condition, Mayor Fennell will not be able to attend upcoming duties and events due to this very painful and dangerous injury,” the statement says.
Fennell said she will not be able to attend a special council meeting this coming Wednesday.
Councillors petitioned to get the meeting to address a forensic audit by Deloitte Canada that found Fennell and her staff violated city spending rules 266 times to talling $172,608 over seven years.
An Integrity Commissioner’s report that found she “knowingly” violated the city’s code of conduct will also be addressed at the meeting. Four councillors have stated they will be asking for the maximum penalty for Fennell at next week’s meeting, a loss of 90 days pay for the code violation. They have also said they will bring a motion forward for Fennell to repay $156,000 for expenses that the audi- tor was not given enough information on to determine if rules had been broken. It’s unlikely that Fennell would have been allowed to vote on the issues, as she would most likely be in a conflict of interest. On Thursday, Fennell issued a notice of libel to councillors John Sanderson and John Sprovieri for remarks they made to the Star about the expense scandal that Fennell claims were defamatory. The Star was also served with the notice of libel. The paper says it stands by its reporting. Fennell has been dogged by the on- going scandal for the last year. She was easily beaten by mayor-elect Linda Jeffrey in the recent election. Fennell received 12 per cent of the vote.
In her statement Friday she said she had been exonerated of the findings by Deloitte after an audit appeal arbitrator ruled just before the election that the repayment amount for the mayor would be reduced from $34,118 to $3,523.
Councillors have stated they will have the final say on the repayment amount at next week’s special meeting.
Fennell’s term as mayor ends Dec.1.