City Coun. Sushil Thapar says he feels he’s being penalized for “doing his job.”
After being billed $262 for a freedom of information request, Thapar brought his concerns to council Monday night.
“I have never been billed for requested information,” he said.
“Never.”
Six weeks ago Thapar, council’s finance chair, blasted his colleagues for what he called a “misuse of taxpayers money.”
Since then he has requested detailed expense claims for all councillors.
“I asked for that information and was told it would be provided,” he said.
“I waited and I waited. I was then told to put it in writing, so I did. I have never had to go through hoops for information I’ve requested.”
Thapar was provided with the forms and billed for city staff time in obtaining that information, or rather, his wife was.
“That is outrageous,” he said.
“If you’re going to bill, then bill it to me.”
Mayor Mary Sjostrom said the name error was an oversight.
“And he was given a sincere apology,” she said.
“I’m sorry he cannot accept that apology.”
Still Thapar maintains the bill is an “insult.”
“I am being billed for work I am doing for the public,” he said.
“And the public deserve to know. I’m being penalized for doing the right thing.”
However, Sjostrom said there’s a bylaw in place for FOI requests.
It states under section 5.0 Fees:
“An applicant making a request shall pay to the municipality the fees set out for the purpose of:
• locating, receiving and producing the record;
• preparing the record for disclosure;
• shipping and handling the record; and
• providing a copy of the record.
Sjostrom added council needs to remember they are there to “ govern, not administer.”
“We have staff for administration,” she said.
“We are there to govern, give direction and make policy. Staff carries out that policy.”
But Thapar maintains he is simply doing what he was elected to do,
“look after the public’s money.”
“I have concerns we are raising taxes when people cannot afford it,” he said.
“I’m trying my best to look after the taxpayers’ money.”
However, Sjostrom says Thapar’s role is to “facilitate only.”
“He has no authority over staff,” she said.
“We have an auditor, a director of finance and a financial team [for that].”
However, Thapar says he’s passionate about the public’s finance
and continues to point to the mayor’s and other council member’s travel expenses.
“I am trying to keep everyone honest,” he said.
“These claim forms speak for themselves.”
Check the Observer for follow-up stories.