Brampton councillors voted 8-0 Wednesday for a full forensic audit of Mayor Susan Fennell’s city-paid expenses, following a volatile confrontation over the $186,000 she charged to taxpayers in less than three years.

“If we gave you a million dollars, you’d blow the whole million,” Councillor John Sprovieri angrily charged.

Fennell expensed miscellaneous amounts — over and above upgraded air travel, generous limo service and car allowances, and the highest salary of any mayor in Canada — on everything from $1 iTunes downloads to the $3,200 cost of a seat upgrade on a flight to India. The expenses were disclosed only following a Freedom of Information request by the Brampton Guardian.

“The office of the mayor functions within the council-approved budget each and every year,” Fennell responded, after councillors took turns grilling her about her spending, which has no formal cap. She repeatedly said expenses of councillors also need to be scrutinized.

Councillor John Sanderson eventually demanded a third-party forensic audit that will also look into expenses charged by councillors.

Brampton critics call efforts ‘too little, too late’

Beyond the $186,000 in expenses, Fennell was asked repeatedly about her “limo driver,” a service for which taxpayers paid $46,000 in 2012.

“There’s a line item that has been in the budget for 10 years ... It’s a flat-rate service, on-call service 24/7,” she said, adding that the service is provided for safety and to allow her to do work while travelling. “I’m not driving and texting,” Fennell said.

Sanderson pressed her about the Lincoln Navigator SUV that’s provided for her by the city on top of the limousine service, and was told by one of Fennell’s staff that the city pays a lease fee of $1,400 a month.

“Wow,” Sanderson replied.

Fennell then said, “At the end of the lease I don’t own it.”

The mayor offered no apology or suggestion that the cost of the Lincoln is an unacceptable expense for taxpayers.

When asked about her first-class airfare to China, India and the Philippines, on three recent trips over four months, she said it’s allowed under the city’s travel policy and helps her feel refreshed when she lands for meetings.

“Yes, I chose to travel business class.”

She shot back at councillors, accusing them of taking spouses to the theatre and sporting events and expensing the costs. She didn’t name anyone who purportedly skirted the rules, but warned there will be public disclosure soon.

Council agreed that another public meeting needs to be scheduled to go through all the expense details, so residents can weigh in on what costs are appropriate.

Odd items on the list, such as Fennell’s $1,300 Mandarin lessons, $2,000 French lessons and $2,200 personalized barbecue aprons, weren’t even discussed.

Responding to councillors who accused her of self-promotion, Fennell contended that funds given to community booster groups tied to the mayor don’t involve taxpayer money because they’re funded through the mayor’s private gala.

Councillor Elaine Moore questioned that, pointing out that more than $170,000 of taxpayer money went to the mayor’s gala through departmental sponsorships that councillors never even knew about, prior to this year.

The practice of allowing unapproved City of Brampton ticket purchases for the gala was put to a stop in January, after councillors learned that it had been going on for years without their knowledge.

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Sanderson said the forensic audit should provide the details of spending that Brampton residents are demanding — in the face of an expected high tax increase or sharp reductions in services such as transit.

“If there’s any wrongdoing,” he said, “we need to get it fixed.”

Fennell declined to comment to the Star after the meeting to clarify some of her spending.

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