It’s an organization whose spending is out of control.
For the past two months, this newspaper, alongside our team of investigative reporters from Glacier Media and other Lower Mainland journalists, have put the spotlight on the out-of-control spending and mismanagement at Metro Vancouver.
It all started here in Delta, in May, when several councillors put in place sanctions on Mayor George Harvie, with one of those sanctions removing him as Delta’s representative at Metro. Since Harvie was the board chair, he was out as chair too.
During the meeting in North Delta, it came to light that Harvie was to be part of a delegation going to Amsterdam for a conference.
After more questions, Harvie pulled out of the trip, but that didn’t stop four other Lower Mainland mayors who are their cities’ reps on Metro, along with three Metro staffers, from making the trip.
Costs of that trip have yet to be disclosed, but a lot of other exorbitant expenses for other international travel have been, including a $64,000 mix-and-mingle event at a conference in Toronto last year.
All of this is coming to light as costs are ballooning on the North Shore wastewater treatment plant that taxpayers across the Lower Mainland will be on the hook for.
With the heat rising on recently elected chair Burnaby Mayor Mike Hurley, last week, Hurley ordered a pause on all international travel by the Metro board and its committee members, while policies and spending limits are reviewed.
This review is overdue, but the damage and financial hit to taxpayers has already been done. This review is one of just several that need to take place and which need to be done by outside third parties, who have no ties or connections to Metro Vancouver, or any of its directors.
Metro Vancouver is a mess and it’s going to take a lot more than a travel pause and cutting out the wine and cheese parties to fix it.
