Metro Vancouver area councillors urge more provincial oversight of municipal spending

The Canadian Press

· Posted: May 20, 2025 5:02 PM EDT | Last Updated: 9 hours ago

Four metropolis councillors successful the Metro Vancouver country person launched a petition asking the B.C. authorities for person oversight of municipal spending successful the province, amid a constabulary probe into alleged misuse of a metropolis hallway acquisition paper program.

Richmond's Kash Heed, New Westminster's Daniel Fontaine and Paul Minhas, and Burnaby's Richard Lee accidental successful an unfastened missive to Premier David Eby that the state needs to either reinstate a circumstantial bureau to oversee municipal spending oregon grow the auditor general's mandate to screen it.

The councillors mention media reports that hundreds of thousands of dollars were spent connected acquisition cards successful Richmond, B.C., with small oversight, arsenic good arsenic aggregate instances of "questionable expenditures" astatine the Metro Vancouver Regional District.

Richmond RCMP says its superior crimes conception has opened an probe into the acquisition paper lawsuit reported by Global News, which says Richmond spent much than $400,000 connected the cards successful 3 years.

"Speaking generally, erstwhile the Richmond RCMP receives a study oregon a ailment an probe volition beryllium opened," the Richmond RCMP said successful its statement. It added that an appraisal of whether a substance involves elements of criminality "does not connote that an offence has occurred."

In a written response, provincial Municipal Affairs Minister Ravi Kahlon said B.C. is "not considering adding an further oversight assemblage astatine this time" but is committed to improving section "financial transparency and accountability."

"We are committed to a beardown fiscal concern with section governments, and we privation nationalist fiscal reports to beryllium casual for radical to entree and understand," Kahlon said.

Along with the letter, the councillors person besides launched an online petition connected the issue, asking for nationalist remark connected what they would similar to spot from the state successful presumption of municipal spending oversight.

"Unfortunately, this is not an isolated incident," the missive says astir the Richmond acquisition paper case. 

"Over the past year, Metro Vancouver has besides faced nationalist scrutiny implicit questionable expenditures, including lavish business-class travel, unnecessary sponsorships, and different spending that appears disconnected from the priorities of section taxpayers."

The missive besides criticizes outgo overruns and delays astatine the North Shore Wastewater Treatment Plant arsenic different illustration of the request for provincial oversight of municipal spending.

"These examples bespeak a broader systemic issue: the lack of consistent, autarkic fiscal oversight astatine the municipal and determination levels," the missive says.

The councillors said successful the missive that they are looking to conscionable with Eby oregon his unit to sermon imaginable ways to oversee municipal spending successful the province.

The petition website launched by the councillors said the bureau of the municipal auditor wide was abolished successful 2019, and oversight connected spending has since go limited, with "inconsistencies successful fund allocations" opening to emerge.

"Reinstating this bureau oregon expanding the B.C. Auditor General's powers would supply a much-needed furniture of oversight," the petition said. "It would assistance uncover mismanagement and guarantee that nationalist funds are utilized efficiently and responsibly." 

The petition said immoderate accrued oversight would some "enhance accountability" and "rebuild nationalist spot successful section governments crossed Metro Vancouver."