Editor:
This ongoing debate about Councillor Sushil Thapar’s censure motion keeps coming back to my 2010 travel expenses.
I would like to set the record straight. Truth versus half truths and lies.
Truth – I went over my travel budget in 2010.
Half truth – the sofi report numbers that are being quoted do not explain they include expenses that were allocated for official representation of the city on behalf of mayor and council (lobbying budget.)
Truth – spent more than $2,000 of my own money (in 2010) representing the City of Quesnel at functions that I felt would benefit the community as a whole.
Truth – several councillors offered their unspent travel budget monies to cover off mine.
Truth – no policies were ever broken in how travel budget was dealt with.
Truth– there is now a policy in place to deal with such scenarios in the future.
Truth – bottom line for entire council’s travel budget for 2010, 63 per cent was spent.
Untruth – according to Thapar I stayed at $300/night hotels.
Untruth – according to Thapar I went to the media with this issue first.
Untruth – according to Thapar my expenses were paid for by Jack Marsh.
Truth – authorized by Marsh as acting city manager to be paid for by the City of Quesnel.
I do not understand how Thapar thinks this issue has anything to do with the motion of censure against him.
The motion was passed unanimously by those in attendance and as a council we are very concerned as to how staff are treated and will not be tolerated. We need to offer them a harassment-free work place.
The notice of censure was issued April 18, 2011 and clearly states it was brought forward following a series of events and comments made by this councillor towards staff that had a negative effect on a number of city employees.
We chose to keep the censure motion in house instead of going public but due to Thapar’s treatment of staff recently, it was decided to be issued publicly.
Please explain to me why, as finance chair, Thapar feels it’s necessary to bring up expenses from 2006 – what has that got to do with running the city right now?
This is just one of more than 40 requests. What sort of time and resources and tax payer’s money has been spent to deal with the number of FOI requests Thapar has requested?
He has generated more than 800 emails this year alone dealing with all his requests.
One last question for now: When asked why he voted against the city’s budget this year he stated that we gave big industry a one percent tax break.
Truth – council discussed a half percent tax cut and it was voted down, as finance chair I would think that you would know this.
Once again I would like to re-iterate that my 2010 travel expenses have no bearing on the censure motion against Thapar.
Laurey-Anne Roodenburg
City councillor
Quesnel