Brampton councillor calls for investigation into $1.25M in secretive payments to city staff

BramptonCoun.Gurpreet Dhillon is calling for an external investigation into$1.25-million paid to city staff through a murky program that internal auditors found skirted council policies.

Pay raises were given to 167 non-union employees between 2009 and 2014 under a program called "outside policy requests," according to an internal audit that became public this month.

It found that the payments "lacked transparency and did not comply with council-approved policies" and recommended they be discontinued.

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The audit also concluded the city has littleability to control salary changes for non-union employees.

"When you are taking taxpayers' money without them knowing, without council knowing, it's definitely negligence," Dhillon said on CBC'sMetro Morning.

"It could be corruption but that's something that still has to be found out."

Dhillon hasfiled a motion requesting that an external investigation possiblyincluding police examine the program and payments to determine if they violated Ontario's Municipal Act, which regulates the operationof local governments.

The motion, which is supported by Coun. Martin Medeiros, describes the payments as "unjustified."

'Troubling and disturbing'

Brampton's city treasurer was able to compile the 10 most common reasons provided for the raises. The listincludedreward for performance, "hired too low and salary needs to catch up," favouritism, and "pay adjustment no reason provided."

Bramptonmayor Linda Jeffrey called the findings "a troubling and disturbing snapshot of how human resources were previously administered at city hall."

While the 167 payments were handed out before Jeffrey's election, the audit found one more that may have occurred after she took office.

Dhillon, too, says the existence of the program is indicative of the "culture of misbehaving and misspending" that existed in the city. "Over the past few years, our reputation has taken a hit," he said.

"I think it's up to this council now to really make amends from the past, past mistakes and let [residents] know what's going on."

The motion will be debated by Brampton city council on June 21.