Why such a large South Island delegation?
Langford taxpayers paid twice for FCM conference meals
Langford residents wonder why they were double billed for council meals at the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM) annual conference in Toronto in May.
A FOI request for council expense claims reveal that breakfast and lunch were included in the $985 registration fee paid by Langford. But Mayor Scott Goodmanson, Couns. Lillian Szpak and Keith Yacucha also submitted expense claims for the same breakfast and lunch. A fourth councillor, Coun. Mary Wagner, adjusted her per diem claim slightly downward, although still claimed for meals already paid for by the Langford taxpayer.
“We are wondering if the cheques are in the mail?” says Stan Bartlett, vice-chair of Grumpy Taxpayer$. “Council either did not eat the paid conference meals provided at the Fairmont Royal York or they over claimed in per diems for meals.”
A fifth councillor, Coun. Kimberley Guiry, did not file an expense claim, which would have been made available through Langford’s freedom of information coordinator. Records indicate she stayed at the Fairmont Royal York during the national conference.
Why such an unusually large South Island delegation?
Thanks to 13 municipal jurisdictions, it’s estimated regional taxpayers paid for about 15 conference delegates from the South Island, a third of which were from Langford. Much larger Victoria sent four delegates, while neighbouring Colwood sent none.
What about the optics of sending a large Langford delegation a couple of weeks after setting a historically high municipal tax rate?
The entire conference cost for the five-member delegation was $23,570. It included per diem allowances of $12 for breakfast, $18 for lunch and $22 for supper, plus $6 for gratuities, or $60. daily. The municipal expense policy and rates haven’t been updated since 2006.
On May 11 a couple weeks prior to the conference, Langford approved a 12.41 per cent tax increase for its 2023 budget. The final five-year financial plan for 2023 to 2027 also forecasts tax increases of 11.68 per cent in 2024, 9.50 per cent in 2025, 8.98 per cent in 2026 and 8.44 per cent in 2027.
READ MORE
FOI Request on FCM Council Expenses, City of Langford, Oct. 2023.
Langford council approves financial plan with record-high tax increases, Times Colonist, May 3, 2023.
Council and staff expense policy, City of Langford, 2006.
Federation of Canadian Municipalities: Annual Conference and Trade Show 2023, FCM, 2023.
while the numbers that went is one thing, the ‘double’ dipping was not concerning. As had been pointed out, 2 days were travel days and the first conference day started at lunch. Wagner pointed out that breakfast was just a muffin and coffee and that just isn’t enough (ask yourself if just a muffin is enough for you to carry on for 4 hours!) While the comments about lining up timing of presentations with lunch can be questioned (ie, try better to get your food), in essence, at question is $228 each. Scott deducted $163, so his would be $65. With no Kimberly, one is questioning $847 on the food side of things (and that is saying they shouldn’t make us pay more for having a bigger breakfast than a muffin and coffee). As a taxpayer in Langford, that doesn’t concern as politicians are way more frivolous than that like 95% of the time. Why 5 needed to go does (at least Lillian had no need).