Final week, World Information reported how a Richmond metropolis vacation employees social gathering in December price taxpayers $119,000 {dollars}.
Along with shopping for alcohol, taxpayers spent $80,000 on catering. Now, additional evaluate of freedom of knowledge outcomes obtained by World Information, reveal some gorgeous excesses.
Buried inside the 4,400 pages of paperwork World Information reviewed was the acknowledgement that ”though the quantity of meals supplied by the caterer was adequate, McDonald’s cheeseburgers and Junior Hen burgers have been supplied in direction of the tip of the occasion in order that employees may “seize” as they exited the occasion. This continues to be a much-requested crowd favorite.”
A receipt reveals taxpayers purchased 275 Junior Hen burgers and 275 cheeseburgers, costing taxpayers greater than $1,800 {dollars}. The additional meals was pre-purchased three days earlier than the occasion.
“Who does Mayor Brodie suppose he’s, Mayor McCheese,” stated Canadian Taxpayers Federation B.C. director Caron Binda in reference to the McDonald’s character.
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“Taxpayers work arduous for his or her cash and to see or not it’s blown on a pile of hamburgers for Richmond bureaucrats’ boozy Christmas social gathering which was already totally catered is a slap within the face to taxpayers who’re struggling to make ends meet.”
The burger binge is prompting extra requires an auditor normal of municipalities.
“You’ve folks barely making ends meet paying taxes for folks to get pleasure from these lavish dinners,” stated BC Conservative municipal affairs critic Tony Luck.
“It’s completely uncontrolled.”
Taxpayers had already spent $80,000 on catering for the occasion, $3,500 on wine and $3,500 on beer, whereas $6,000 went to an occasion firm offering video games. A photograph sales space price $1,100 and a photographer was paid $2,700.
Final week Richmond Mayor Malcolm Brodie defended the expense.
“A year-end social gathering is a time to mirror on what occurred prior to now, it’s an funding in your folks, it’s a approach to construct morale,” he advised World Information.
The taxpayer funded social gathering, together with burgers, befell simply someday after a press launch introduced taxes in Richmond have been going up 5.86 per cent.
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