Scanned, recopied or Internet copy, if there are errors, please e-mail me with corrections: Opening comments: More at the end. To the main Judicial Inquiry page - to the Hazel McCallion page. Mississauga News - Aug. 3, 2010 - By Joe Chin - jchin@mississauga.net McCallions’ inquiry tab could top $500,000 Mississauga taxpayers might have to foot more than $500,000 in legal costs for Mayor Hazel McCallion and her son in the judicial inquiry.Currently capped at $150,000 each — already up from the original $100,000 — the mayor’s lawyers are now asking the City of Mississauga to up that limit to $400,000. Peter McCallion's tab, since he’s involved in only the World Class Developments (WCD) phase of the probe, might top out at the approved limit. Altogether, the cost of the inquiry, which is looking into a failed bid by WCD, fronted by the mayor’s son, to develop an upscale hotel in the downtown core, could exceed $5 million — more than double the original estimate of $2.5 million. The inquiry is probing the extent of the mayor’s involvement amid questions about whether it represents a conflict of interest. “The time allocated for hearings continues to expand, documents continue to be produced and the inquiry is more lengthy than anticipated,” said the law firm employed by the mayor, in a letter to the City requesting the raising of the limit, which will be considered at tomorrow’s (Aug. 4) Council meeting. The Toronto law firm had made the same $400,000 request two months ago, but the majority of councillors felt such a hike would be too much for taxpayers to stomach and approved $150,000. “I would consider $400,000 quite a leap. To go from $100,000 to $400,000 in a four-day hearing, that’s $10,000 a day,” Ward 6 Councillor Carolyn Parrish said during the debate. And she isn’t likely to have a change of heart tomorrow. “I’m going to have a great deal of difficulty accepting that,” she said. “They can come back to us when they use up that $150,000 and we’ll consider giving them another $50,000 or $100,000. But I’m not giving them carte blanche. That would be flushing taxpayers’ money down the drain.” Parrish said she would wait and see what other councillors think. “Contrary to what some people (have) said, we don’t get together and vote as a block. I knew the request was coming before Council and I haven’t spoken to any councillors about it.” As for the mayor’s son, Parrish wants him to foot his own legal costs from his share of the $4-million out-of-court settlement WCD received from Ontario Municipal Employees Retirement System (OMERS) following the collapse of the land deal. She plans to move a motion in Council tomorrow. “When Peter McCallion filed his affidavit, he was unaware he stood to gain...part of the World Class Developments settlement,” said Parrish. “Given his circumstances have changed, I would suggest he should voluntarily give up his request for the taxpayers to pay his legal fees.” McCallion has testified he hasn’t received any money. If he doesn’t pay voluntarily, says Parrish, she will also ask in a motion to request that the inquiry commissioner reconsider his decision to have the taxpayer foot his fees. Still, whatever the final tab, Parrish says the inquiry, which is also probing the 2000 Enersource sale, which gave veto power to minority shareholder OMERS, is necessary. She notes the Toronto computer leasing inquiry cost that city’s taxpayers $40 million in 2004. “If it changes the way business is conducted in Mississauga and in other Ontario municipalities, then it will be worth the expense,” she said. Parrish says $1 million was spent because Queen’s Park required documents to be provided in electronic form to make the process more efficient. It has proven successful and may be used in future inquiries, she notes. “We were like guinea pigs, so I think we should ask them to pick up the $1 million,” she said. The inquiry resumes on Monday and is expected to last until mid-September. Comments by others - 12 - to this web-page at time of posting; ComeOn Aug 5, 2010 3:50 PM Hazel Pay Us Back When this Inquiry ends and if as I expect it will take issue with the McCallions and their inability to understand abuse of office why not ask Hazel to pay for all of it? If she delcares victory again when are we entitled to be angry? The excuses to date are beyond insulting. * Agree 1 ComeOn Aug 5, 2010 3:46 PM Muse There Are Good People In Elected Office The Council at the City voted to put this mess in the hands of an Inquiry when it would have been politically better to not deal with it. I do not bellieve any other Council member is part of this mess. I think this is a McCallion only scandal. * Agree The Mississauga Muse Aug 4, 2010 5:55 PM @ ComeOn you wrote, "Remember in all of this that this Mayor abused her office before, was charged convicted, appealed, lost, declared victory???? and carried on as if nothing happened." Cripes it's worse than that. I don't understand how she does it. Like today. Carrying on like nothing happened. If it were me Mayor of such an unholy, hypocritical cluster**** I'd be wearing a paper bag over my head in shame. It was suggested to me recently that it isn't Power Corrupts but rather that the Corrupt are attracted to Power. But so many under one roof like that?! * Agree 1 The Mississauga Muse Aug 4, 2010 5:49 PM @ Fartleberry, all the costs ARE public. I have today's Corporate Report right here. And no, not ten bucks for a lawyer's photocopy or $28 for can of coke. As for the Ontario Ombudsman's report on legal billing, you are dead on about that. But I submit that if the Ontario Ombudsman had full investigative authority into municipalities, we might not have had this MYTHissauga STINK-TO-HIGH-HEAVEN. As for the City putting it on their website, agree that should happen too. But the City likes to cut corners on informing the public --unless of course, it's for Positive-Positive "news". * Agree 2 The Mississauga Muse Aug 4, 2010 5:44 PM Just back from Mississauga Council. They decided to extend funding to Peter McCallion and the Mayor after all And I'm glad! I wanted to make sure this process was fair from beginning to end because it's simply important to play fair. Turns out it was revealed in discussion that had Council not granted the money, either the Mayor's lawyers or Peter McCallion's --or both could have registered appeals/complaints and then see where we'd be. And not just that. Imagine the Mayor's People (aka "Friends of Hazel") squawking... This was not just the Right Thing to do but also (for those who don't care about "Right") the expedient thing. * Agree 1 Fartleberry Aug 4, 2010 2:15 PM Make the costs public. Is this a case of paying 10 dollars for a lawyer's photocopy or $28 for a can of Coke? Lawyers can jack up a bill to the public faster than a defence contractor. Have a look at the Ontario Ombudsman's report on legal aid billings and you'll see what I mean. This needs to be put on the city website and run before council before the first cheque is cut. I think a lawyer would call it "transparency" and charge you 200 bucks. * Agree 3 ComeOn Aug 4, 2010 12:20 PM Hazel McCallion Convicted Once and Soon To Be.... Remember in all of this that this Mayor abused her office before, was charged convicted, appealed, lost, declared victory???? and carried on as if nothing happened. Here we are again with this same Mayor and the mounting evidence has even got her blind followers screening calls in hiding. I am shocked at the attitude of the Mayor's lawyer in addressing Council. I am disgusted at the mounting evidence of abuse. I am sick of the bizarre excuses of two adults saying they did not read or understand a document handed to them over dinner with a third adult. If it were true = time for a new Mayor -- one that can read. If a lie -- time for a new Mayor. * Agree 2 ComeOn Aug 4, 2010 12:14 PM Hazel Created Hazel Scandal perhaps we should consider handing her the bill for all of it!!! The McCallions ask for money and it is given in good faith. Then the Mayor's lawyer uses it to ask that for special consideration for the Mayor and her re-election -- we paid for that. The McCallions do not come clean on the OMERS settlement or the McCallion trust -- we still give them coin. I have no faith in the Mayor's council to spend our money wisely. Given the testimony to date I am not sure we should provide any funds to the McCallions until it is over. Certainly they have not been honest with us. The Mayor long ago could have come clean told us she was at a couple meetings which turned out to be untrue. I think to be FAIR the McCallions should ante up on the fairness before the tax payers do!!!! * Agree 3 The Mississauga Muse Aug 4, 2010 7:49 AM GIVE THE MAYOR WHATEVER MONEY SHE NEEDS TO KEEP THIS PROCESS **FAIR**!! * Agree 1 The Mississauga Muse Aug 4, 2010 6:27 AM Gotta wonder about today's Council meeting and all future ones. Gosh, how many times between June 14, 2006 to current have we heard Hazel McCallion's ol' "it's important to do our homework"? And my favourite preachings were in front of school kids visiting City Hall for the day, "Always do your homework" she'd tell them. And I just have to LAUGH watching her preach about "honesty with the citizens" during the Respectful Workplace Policy presentation to Council. And her noises at Audit Committee meetings about "I was in the business, dealing with contracts worth millions of dollars..." I'm throwing this out there. A Mayor's second-GREATEST chance at longevity is her gender! And the first?... :-) Therese Taylor Aug 3, 2010 8:48 PM Parish is right, the inquiry is worth it, though McCallions should be paying their own fees It seems to me that mother and son got themselves into this mess and they should repay taxpayers their legal fees, at the very least. In the end, Parish is right to say “If it changes the way business is conducted in Mississauga and in other Ontario municipalities, then it will be worth the expense.” * Agree 3 msm Aug 3, 2010 8:15 PM Gimme, Gimme a Mayor After Midnight Preferably one who practices what she preaches by not using other people's money to try and sneak out out of this. I'll cheerfully pay Hazel McCallion's legal bills once she brings Mississauga into the 20th century and has all city streets ploughed in winter and provides garbage pickup for all Mississauga businesses. * Agree 2 ComeOn Aug 3, 2010 5:01 PM Hazel McCallion Created this Scandal Why Not Ask Her To Pay For All Costs? All she has to do is show up and tell the truth? So why $500000 in lawyers? Why the need for games if she is all about the truth? Why has she still not come clean with the people of Mississauga? The evidence of abuse of office is damning. The explanations are lame. She is a repeat offender. What now do we do? * Agree 2 Home Page - Main Table of Contents - Back up a page - Back to Top [COMMENTS BY DON B. - ] |
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