Questionable expenses plague Stouffville councillors
Twenty-seven hundred dollars spent on flowers, $4,800 spent on social media and administration service and $2,330 billed to a numbered company are just a few of the expenses Whitchurch-Stouffville council members have made in the past 21 months.
In the wake of Mayor Justin Altmann expensing a replica chain of office — now being called the mayor’s community chain — this year for $1,949, the Stouffville Sun-Tribune took an in-depth look at council expenses over the past 21 months.
According to town treasurer Brian Parrott, there is no policy that determines what comprises an eligible expense for council and there is no specific approval policy with respect to expenses.
“Each councillor applies their discretion with respect to expenses,” he said.
Every member of council has a different expense budget based on the population of the ward they represent. Ward 1 Councillor Ken Ferdinands has a budget of $8,750; Ward 2 Councillor Maurice Smith $12,150; Ward 3 Councillor Hugo Kroon, $8,410; Ward 4 Councillor Rick Upton $15,090; Ward 5 Councillor Iain Lovatt $11,720; Ward 6 Councillor Rob Hargrave $20,550; and Altmann $30,000.
Altmann expensed $2,758 on flowers over the past 21 months. Other notable expenses from the mayor included $305 for an espresso machine, a $4.67 Tim Hortons lunch for a consultant and $73 at the LCBO for a 55+ St. Patrick’s Day luncheon. Altmann didn’t respond to a request to explain his various expenses.
The single largest expense from a council member was from Upton, who expensed $4,884 to Darlene Shaw on Dec. 31, 2016, for social media and admin services.
Upton said the expense was so large because he made it one instalment instead of spreading it over the year.
Upton said for the money, Shaw helped him with social media, advertising and attending events.
The only expense made to a numbered company was made by Smith who expensed $2,330 to1502715 Ontario INC over a 21-month period for newsletters and web hosting. Smith said the company manages his website and arranges most of his community communications.
He also said the company behind the numbered one he wrote down on his expenses is 5pstrategies and is owned by Michael Gorman. Former mayor Sue Sherban made a presentation to council on Tuesday raising concerns with only Altmann and Hargrave’s expenses. She questioned both Hargrave and Altmann for expensing dinner tables at various community fundraisers such as Thaipongal, the Chamber of Commerce Mayor’s Dinner and the Latcham Gallery. It’s one thing to expense your own ticket but to expense the whole table is going too far, Sherban said.
Sherban wanted to know who the people were that attended these dinners.
She also questioned the need for expensing ads in the various local papers when it could be done much cheaper via mail.
“I build foundations for bridges. You build foundations for walls.”
COUNCILLOR ROB HARGRAVE TO FORMER MAYOR SUE SHERBAN
Hargrave said he supports the local community and is trying to bring people together at these functions.
“I build foundations for bridges. You build foundations for walls,” he said.
After Sherban needled Altmann for expensing two tables at the Chamber of Commerce Mayor’s Dinner for $1,017, Altmann warned Sherban to keep things respectful or leave. The barbs between the two continued when Altmann asked Sherban about the town’s expense policy when she was mayor and she responded that a policy wasn’t needed then because there used to be integrity on council.
After Altmann gave Sherban a final warning, Sherban stopped her probe and said, “You know what? I can leave now,” and she marched out of the chambers.
With no policy, it appears council members did nothing wrong. But council passed a resolution for staff to looking into a possibility of developing a council expense policy like those used in Markham, Vaughan, Richmond Hill or Aurora.
Staff are scheduled to report back on the matter in the first quarter of 2018.