Jarvis: Windsor’s priorities misplaced
By Anne Jarvis, The Windsor Star February 10, 2012
Anne Jarvis
Photograph by: The Windsor Star, The Windsor Star
Some people are calling for an inquiry into the fiasco over Windsor’s auditor general. Some want Ontario’s auditor general to review the debacle.
But not Windsor’s integrity commissioner.
The city’s auditor general’s office is imploding. The latest would-be AG, a new, key, highly paid, very public figure, has been fired. Charges of blatant conflict of interest have been levelled again.
But Bruce Elman doesn’t seem concerned about all this. He’s concerned, of all things, that someone on council might have told The Star about it.
It’s The Case of the Misplaced Priorities.
And by the way, the problem isn’t that taxpayers have been told too much. The problem is that we’ve haven’t been told enough.
Elman is “very concerned,” he wrote in a confidential letter to council at its closed meeting Monday, about two stories in The Star Feb. 2. One, by Beatrice Fantoni, reported that the AG had been fired.
The other, by me, reported that council had voted to lease, instead of sell, an environmentally significant woodlot to St.
Clair College as part of the deal to build a new long-term care home. Council had voted at a closed meeting to fire Todd Langlois. A source told Fantoni. A confidential report on the woodlot was discussed at a closed meeting. A source told me about the meeting and gave me the report. That’s what rankled Elman.
“Let me be clear,” he lectured in bold print in his letter, “these disclosures of confidential information, if committed by members of city council (in italics for emphasis), are violations of … the code of conduct …
“I view the issue of confidentiality as a very significant one,” Elman wrote. “I can assure you that if an appropriate complaint, capable of being proven, is made to me, I will vigorously pursue it.”
With all due respect to Elman, former dean of law at the University of Windsor, I view this as very significant: The city has spent four years allegedly trying to hire an auditor general and completing key audits. There have been long, inexplicable delays and accusations of lack of cooperation. Several people have suggested they’ve been driven out. There aren’t enough staff. Then their jobs were going to be contracted out. It’s a shambles. I think this should be vigorously pursued.
I view this as significant, too: The chairman of the audit committee is the CEO of Enwin Utilities, a city-owned corporation that some people want audited. It’s a conflict of interest.
Since we’re paying Elman $300 an hour for investigations, this is what should be vigorously pursued.
“It is your obligation to refrain from disclosing confidential information,” Elman told council.
I think it’s council’s obligation to tell us – in fact, it’s high time they tell us – what’s really going on in the auditor general’s office. Disclosing confidential information “can have significant detrimental consequences for the city,” he wrote.
Not disclosing information has already had significant detrimental consequences.
We’ve spent tens of thousands of dollars allegedly trying to hire an auditor general, an independent watchdog who can tell us if the city is run efficiently and effectively, if we’re receiving value for our tax dollars. We don’t have one.
Curiously, Elman didn’t say he is concerned about the story by reporter Doug Schmidt Feb. 3 on Langlois being fired. A source told Schmidt what happened at the closed meeting, too. Was it a different source than Fantoni’s? Or mine? Are some sources OK but not others?
Elman told me via email that he can’t comment on confidential matters.
Mayor Eddie Francis, too, admonished council at its closed meeting Monday. He’s concerned about information regarding investors that could jeopardize potential jobs.
“Don’t put me in a position where I can’t share information with you,” he told me he warned councillors. “The ball is in your court.”
But I wonder, has Francis ever given the media a “headsup”? If so, is it OK for some people to talk and not others?
(For the record, it’s OK for anyone to talk to me.)
The fact that I knew what the mayor said and I have a copy of Elman’s letter tells me someone agrees with me.
“This is a very senior officer of the corporation … who has a fiduciary duty,” said one source, referring to the auditor general.
While personnel matters are discussed at closed meetings, a termination like this “should be reported immediately,” the source said.
“You’re only leaving it open to speculation. This is a very closely watched environment. Do you really think nobody is going to find out the next day?
“The damage isn’t that the story was leaked. It’s the auditor general’s allegations that are damaging,” said the source, referring to allegations that Francis and senior staff interfered with Langlois’ job.
“This information is going to make its way out one way or the other,” the source said of the firing. “What disturbs me more are those allegations. Let’s look at the bigger picture.”
An inquiry into what has gone on in the auditor general’s office “certainly would be in order,” said Coun. Alan Halberstadt. “It’s obvious the office isn’t working. If council doesn’t want an independent watchdog, they should cut the pretense and forget about it and save $500,000 a year.”
It’s “certainly within his power” for Elman to conduct that inquiry,” Halberstadt said.
Francis disagreed, vehemently.
“The facts are well known,” he said. “If you want to spend millions and millions and millions of dollars to revisit those facts, I think the money could be better spent.”
ajarvis@windsorstar.com
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