Toronto: The Canadian Taxpayers Federation (CTF) today released documents showing that Toronto taxpayers paid nearly $42,000 for Mayor Miller, 12 councillors and four staff to attend the Federation of Canadian Municipalities' (FCM) 71st annual conference and Big City Mayor's conference in Quebec City in May 2008.

CTF Ontario Director, Kevin Gaudet, commented, "Is it really necessary to send 17 people to one conference Couldn't fewer have gone and reported back to the rest of council what they learned "

Details of the expenses were obtained through Freedom of Information. Expenses for the trip total $41,854.57.
A spreadsheet consolidating the expenses for each of the 17 who attended may be found HERE. Only Councillors McConnell, Moscoe, Hall and Thompson are members of the FCM board or FCM committees.

The expense submissions reveal:

• Councillor McConnell was the top spender at $3,300, even out-spending the Mayor's $2,987;
• Councillor Carroll expensed $100 for cabs with no receipts;
• Councillor Fletcher expensed $55 for train fees with no expenses;
• Councillor Mihevic had $90 of 'transportation expenses' with no receipts;
• Councillors Fletcher and Carroll were the only ones to pay the late registration lee of $700, instead of $585; and,
• Mayor Miller expensed a $25 contribution to the Mayor Andrée Boucher Memorial Scholarship.

Gaudet concluded, "Toronto's spending is out of control and this is just more evidence of that."


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For more information please contact:

Kevin Gaudet at 416-203-0030.

Additional information about the CTF can be found at our website at: www.taxpayer.com