Monday, March 21, 2016

Robert Fuller Asks $51,000 Question

Robert Fuller, 
Photo: screengrab City webcast

No Contract For $51,400 Invoice
how can council authorize this expense?

During Question Period at the city council meeting, Robert Fuller (city watchdog) asked Council some very direct and concerning questions about a $51,400 expense that apparently was not authorized by this city council.

This is in reference to a consulting company, Integrity Group, being engaged to help the city mayor and the city manager do their jobs last year. The company has invoiced the city for $51,400 for apparently providing 166 hours of consulting at $295/hr. To my knowledge city council agreed to pay $20,000 claiming that is something they approved. They have refused at this time to pay the difference.

Mr. Fuller had filed a Freedom of Information request and has learned that apparently there was no formal approval by council to authorize this expenditure, and there are in fact no contracts or agreements in place giving Integrity approval to provide their services.

Mr. Fuller raised a valid question stating that if this Council should approve this unauthorized expenditure are they not guilty of misappropriating taxpayer funds?

He even raised the spectre of whether or not this is something that could rise to the level of an RCMP investigation, if this Council should authorize payment.

Perhaps Mr. McKay and Mr. Swabey should split the bill, since it is looking as if they are the only ones to authorize the expenditure.

allvoices

13 comments:

  1. And how many "more" rubber-stamped expenditures "don't" we know of????

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  2. For whatever reason, Council did vote to honour $20,000 of this invoice... The remaining $31,000 should not be seen as an obligation of the City, but the firm can attempt to collect that sum from the Mayor. If the City were to pay it, I believe they would be liable to a class action suit on behalf of the citizens for misappropriation of funds or perhaps a mass conflict of interest.

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  3. Power tends to corrupt and absolute power corrupts absolutely. Lord Acton
    Unless council and the public do something about this, then the mayor will enjoy a seeming absolute power for four years.
    Somewhere there is another quote about power going to one's head.

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  4. is robert fuller any relation to gordon fuller? is this information that would cast a particular light on anything here? i think it would... is gordon fuller using his brother as some type of conduit to raise issues that he is not in a position to raise without cover of his group of fellow councillors that have decided to band together with him? sorry - but these questions do need to be asked and in the interest of the public jim taylor would be doing the community a service by informing us of any connection between robert and gordon fuller... thanks.........

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    Replies
    1. From watching council, I'd say Coun. Gordon Fuller is MORE than capable of raising any and all issues on his own.

      His brother is also, as we've witnessed, VERY capable of digging and revealing VERY interesting information - questions, and answers, about the use of our tax dollars.

      Kudos to them both.

      Kev.

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    2. Kev - there are certain legal responsibilities that councillors are held to which mean gord fuller is not at liberty to address any and all issues on his own or everything he might like to.. is there a tag team dynamic at work here where gord fuller discusses issues with his brother that he's not at liberty to discuss? i don't know.. i do know there are certain legal responsibilities that come with being a city councillor and free speech on anything and everything that city council is aware or working thru of is not one of them..

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    3. Intriguing concept Anonymous. In the matter of Integrity Group/Mayor McKay my brother knew nothing what so ever. I noticed something stinky about this months ago. I questioned it when I could and finding no answers I decided to go the FOI route. At Monday's council meeting and after the Council spending and amenities policy was voted on I saw my chance to speak on this issue. If you watched the Q&A portion of that meeting you will notice that I certainly never let council, including my brother, of the hook. As to the tag team insinuation all I can say is hooey, I'm probably harder on him than most.

      Robert Fuller

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    4. hi robert.. thanks for your response.. it sounds as though you are talking for your brother here.. he might be better served talking for himself.. i happened to notice according to an article dated march 16th http://localeye.ca/2016/03/16/nanaimo-mayor-challenged/ that you were also responsible for making the public aware of a letter that had been previously not made public.. it made me wonder about your source/s for the info you get.. here is the quote: "On March 8, city councillors Jim Kipp and Bill Bestwick handed McKay a letter calling for his resignation, signed by seven of the eight councillors.

      That was not made public, but on Monday it surfaced when Robert Fuller, Coun. Gordon Fuller’s brother, raised the issue at this week’s council committee-of-the-whole meeting." people can say whatever they want to say.. it's part of the nature of politics.. i appreciate your asking questions, wanting answers and not accepting anything less... we're the same in this regard..

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    5. That letter was made public on this blog on March 8, and the source was Gordon Fullers post on Facebook. The March 16 article you quote is simply not factual. Good reason to trust Nanaimo Info Blog. :^) http://www.nanaimo-info-blog.com/2016/03/councillor-fuller-discloses-brennan.html

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  5. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  6. Robert Fuller is indeed Gord Fuller's brother. No secret there. I am aware personally, that Robert has been a faithful city watchdog for at least the second term of John Ruttan. He has attended nearly every meeting in person, and is a regular asking pointed questions during question period. The community would be well served if more taxpayers took the interest in civic affairs that Robert does. Not sure what you are implying about the connection between the two, their relationship is not secret to anyone.

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  7. jim - as a reader to your blog... i was unaware of the fact they are brothers... your last sentence is therefore incorrect and i surmise there are other readers to your site that are unaware of this as well.. cheers -

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  8. Anyone who has watched/attended regular council meetings would be aware they are brothers.

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