Expenditures at Costco with public funds: purchases deemed “inadmissible” were reimbursed by an elected official from

Expenditures at Costco with public funds: purchases deemed “inadmissible” were reimbursed by an elected official from
Expenditures at Costco with public funds: purchases deemed “inadmissible” were reimbursed by an elected official from Laval

Two municipal officials, including one who had used public funds to pay for groceries at Costco, reimbursed taxpayers for purchases that the Quebec Municipal Commission (CMQ) deemed “inadmissible”.

The CMQ investigation, the report of which was published on Monday, was triggered in the wake of the revelations by our Bureau of Investigation on Paolo Galati’s numerous expenses on Apple products and groceries.

If the Commission therefore does not have to take the case to court to recover the money, it still finds “worrying” situations.

As we revealed, Mr. Galati purchased Nutella, peanut butter, honey, chewing gum, ibuprofen, cauliflower soup, Aveeno moisturizer and coconut seeds. hemp, all with public funds.

“The [Commission] doubt that it is essential to the exercise of the functions of council members to offer snacks and nibbles during [rencontres avec des citoyens]», We can read in the CMQ report.

Elected officials already receive an allowance that can be used to pay for this type of expense, but Mr. Galati had listed his purchases as reception or meeting expenses, which he should not have done, notes the CMQ.

“The expenses covered by the expenses allowance cannot and must not be claimed from the budget provided for research and support expenses,” indicates the government body.

The CMQ also concludes that the City of Laval’s regulation which governs research and support expenses has “weaknesses” and that it is too permissive, because it is not detailed enough.

“There is a lot of room for interpretation and several legitimate questions can be asked,” notes the Commission.

Computer hardware

The CMQ also recommends better supervision of purchases of computer equipment. Mr. Galati had purchased $16,000 worth of Apple products (a MacBook Pro, an iMac and even an Apple Watch). These expenses were in accordance with the regulations. But as the investigation report points out, the City already has computer equipment.

“We believe that the sound management of public funds requires prioritizing property already in the possession of the City,” indicates the report, which recommends including this obligation in the by-law.

Life coach

Another elected official, Alexandre Warnet, had to repay $5,800 for “life coach” training that he had billed to taxpayers in 2023. The elected official also owns a career coaching and consulting firm. ‘business.

“In our opinion, in these circumstances, council members should set an example and avoid having the City pay these costs,” the report states.

The City of Laval confirmed, by press release, that it welcomed the recommendations.

“A work team made up of representatives from the Finance and Legal Affairs departments will quickly look into implementing the recommendations within the prescribed deadline,” confirms Philippe Déry, head of public affairs for Laval.

“The amended regulation will clarify the scales and admissibility of so-called research and support expenses, particularly with regard to meeting costs with citizens, as well as the acquisition of computer equipment.”

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