Except translation, this story has not been edited by achinews staff and is published from a syndicated feed.
The City of Chestermere has filed a lawsuit against its former mayor and three councillors, demanding that $655,177.13 be paid back to the city for improper spending while on the council between 2022 and 2023.
Jeff Colvin, Mel Foat, Blaine Funk and Stephen Hanley are all named as defendants in the lawsuit, in which the city claims they owe a total of $430,638.69 for unauthorized expenditures of city funds, while Colvin is being asked to own repayment of $223,860.26 in misuse of taxpayer dollars.
The lawsuit alleges that taxpayer money was spent on retaining law firms, alcohol, surveillance devices at city hall and expenses for one councilman’s spouse.
None of the allegations have been proven in court.
The statement of claim alleges that “between 2022 and 2023, the defendants (or any of them) caused the city to spend public funds on a number of expenditures that were not properly authorized by the city, and that were not included in the city’s operating budget.”
It states that the defendants retained the law firm of Caron & Partners LLP for an injunction application against the Minister of Municipal Affairs, “improperly” directing one of the city’s chief administrative officers at the time to pay a total of $139,796.80 to’ the company.
The city alleges that the council members named in the lawsuit improperly retained the law firm JSS Barristers, in turn, to hire a private investigator to conduct unauthorized investigations for their benefit.
“This included an investigation into the background of another member of the council in order to publicly discredit him,” the statement of claim reads.
A total of $35,747.11 of invoices were paid to the company.
A third law firm was then hired, MJM LLP, to assist with injunctions which cost taxpayers $239,871.33.
The lawsuit says none of the legal costs were properly approved by the city.
Colvin, Foat, Hanley and Funk were said to have purchased a “mini camera” and “hidden device detector” for $223.45 to place inside city hall and “covertly watch staff or others in city staff offices.”
A $15,000 sweep of the facility was conducted on November 24, 2023, by Electronic Countermeasures Inc., at which time, according to former mayor Colvin, nothing was found.
Colvin’s expenses
The former mayor allegedly spent more than $6,400 on booze on his city-issued credit card.
He also charged the city to move his personal piano inside city hall, costing $375.
Colvin allegedly hired a former Thorhild County councilman, who was fired by Urban Affairs in 2017, for “consulting services” totaling more than $5,500 in December 2022.
The lawsuit also claims he paid for a painting at the RCMP Regimental Ball on Nov. 8, 2023, in the amount of $3,100.
It also alleges that Colvin caused the city to pay $4,207.40 for various memberships of individuals in the Chestermere Regional Community Association in or around October and November 2023.
Further, it claimed that in 2023, the owner of a long-defunct waterslide park would receive property tax abatements from the four-member majority on council and funds to help clean up the site, which has not been approved. by the city, including:
- $40,056.58 for outside contractors and equipment;
- $9,000 to the Chestermere Fire Department to conduct a controlled burn;
- $104,740.10 for equipment and labor from the city’s community operations department; a
- $4,000 for a provincial environmental fine.
Colvin allegedly spent another $46,000 on a 2023 summer carnival.
Foat’s wife’s traveling expenses
Former councilman Mel Foat allegedly directed the city to approve a pair of noise-canceling headphones for $229 for personal use, along with a $448 reimbursement for his wife’s travel expenses.
The city is demanding that the four pay back the expenses.
A statement from the City of Chestermere sent to CTV News said: “At this time, we will not be commenting further.”
The defendants have 20 days to file a statement of defence.
When asked for a statement by CTV News, Jeff Moroz, the legal counsel representing the four, said he had not seen the Statement of Rights.
“Once I receive it, I will get back to you,” he added.
This article will be updated if he provides a secondary statement to CTV News at a later date.
A by-election for the seats of Colvin, Foat, Funk and Hanley, along with two others on the council, takes place on June 24.
All four are seeking re-election.
(Except translation, this story has not been edited by achinews staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
source link https://calgary.ctvnews.ca/city-of-chestermere-sues-fired-members-of-council-ahead-of-byelection-1.6932920
