Halifax council committee has demanded an action plan to enhance financial transparency in the mayor’s office and the overall municipality following an audit highlighting discrepancies in Andy Fillmore’s mayor-related expenses amounting to $111,000.
The finance committee, in a decision on Wednesday, instructed the chief administrative officer to devise corrective actions based on the June audit’s findings, which revealed four transactions processed by Fillmore’s office were not compliant with municipal regulations.
The audit results prompted the regional auditor general to escalate the issue to the RCMP for further investigation.
Fillmore refrained from participating in the committee’s deliberations, citing potential conflict of interest concerns. Nevertheless, the approved resolution, with amendments proposed by the mayor, expanded the plan’s scope to encompass not only his office but the entire municipality.
Acknowledging the auditor general’s findings, Fillmore emphasized that true accountability involves not only pinpointing the origin of a problem but also comprehending its occurrence, rectifying all vulnerabilities, and ensuring non-recurrence.
“I have embraced the auditor general’s conclusions, but accountability goes beyond identifying the root cause — it entails understanding the process, fixing every loophole, and guaranteeing prevention,” Fillmore stated in a released statement.
The reform timeline anticipates presenting the plan to the council within a two-month timeframe.
Councilor Sam Austin expressed optimism that the plan would reassess a previous decision by the region’s former chief administrative officer to grant the mayor’s office increased autonomy.
In a June briefing to the committee, the municipal auditor general, Andrew Atherton, indicated involving the authorities due to the audit’s complexity exceeding his expertise in determining potential legal violations.
Regarding Fillmore’s expenses, he clarified that additional training on procurement procedures had been provided to him and his team. The largest expense discrepancy involved hiring a human resources consultant, initially budgeted at $50,000 but eventually costing $90,000.
Atherton highlighted that certain contracts were executed without adhering to the standard procurement process, including the hiring of a speechwriter without competitive bids and payments for legal services without the requisite approval.
Fillmore confirmed reimbursing the unauthorized legal expenses but emphasized they were not personal charges.
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