Richmond County forensic audit won't be made public before election

The results of a forensic audit into spending practices by Richmond County councillors and senior staff were presented to council Thursday night.

But residentswill not have a chance to see the findings before Saturday's municipal elections.

In Marchthe accounting firm Grant Thornton was hired to look at five years of expense claims after an annual audit raised concerns.

Thursday night's meeting to discuss the results lasted fivehours and was closed to the public.

'Read it, digest it'

At the end of the meeting, the public and the mediawere invited into the council chamber to hear two motions.

In thefirst motion council voted unanimously toreceivean extensive report, which will be released after council has had time to review it.

"We have to look at it, read it, digest it and then move on from there," said Warden Victor David after the meeting. "It is something that is comprehensive and it has to be looked at carefully. It's not something you will read in 20 minutes."

David says council will meet again Tuesday at which point there will be a motion to council to make the report public.

Leave of absence

The second motionwas to "continue the leave of absence of Warren Olsen until Tuesday evening." That vote did not pass unanimously withat least two members voting against it.

The spending practices of CAO Warren Olsen came under fire in a recent investigation by Nova Scotia's Office of the Ombudsman.

He took a leave of absence after those results became public last week.

The ombudsman looked at three years of travel and expense claims. He found double-dipping, unorthodox use of credit cards and acavalier attitude towards spending public money by some councillors, wardens and senior staff.

Residents concerned

Several Richmond County residents came to the municipal building even though the meeting was closed.

"You want to voice your concern. At the end of the day, it's taxpayers' dollars being spent. You need to be involved in it," saidRobin Burke of French Cove, N.S.

About two hours after the closed meeting began, everyone but the councillorswastold to leave the building.

No reason was given.

• Nova Scotia ombudsman slams Richmond County officials for 'self-serving' expenses
• Nova Scotia RCMP investigating Richmond County council expenses

Germaine MacDonald of St. Peter's, N.S., was surprised. She said the publichad always been allowed to wait quietly in the lobby duringother closed meetings.

"I was hoping that at least one councillor would get a case of good conscience andbe forward with giving us the information on the forensic audit," she said. "We've been waiting for a long time andthere's an election coming Saturday and I thinkall the information should be out there for everyone to see."