WATCH ABOVE: Burnaby city council seems to have shanked one into the weeds with the revelation they racked up thousands of dollars worth of free golf at local courses. Councillors, commissioners and other local dignitaries don’t have to pay. They took advantage of a pass system, spending the equivalent of $42-thousand dollars. the city isn’t talking – but as Ted Chernecki reports, critics say its an outrageous example of a far bigger problem.
The spotlight is shining on city leaders in Burnaby after councillors, commissioners and other local dignitaries racked up close to $42,000 last year to golf at Burnaby Mountain and Riverway.
According to a breakdown by the Burnaby Now, 18 current and former city officials used the city’s complimentary card to waive $41,904.59 in charges. The annual passes allow free access to a number of different city facilities with an unrestricted number of guests.
And it turns out that golf was the most popular option for city officials with Wayne Peppard, who is on the parks commission, spending $7.898.24 on green fees. Following just behind Peppard was former commissioner Jim Kozak with $6,354.51 in green fees and Burnaby mayor Derek Corrigan with $5,717.65.
The pass program, which has an annual limit of $50,000, is meant to promote the city’s facilities to potential new users and officials are allowed to bring guests. The card is also meant to be compensation for commissioners who are not actually paid for doing city work.
While the cards are free, councillors are responsible for paying the tax if the activity exceeds $100. If they bring guests, for instance, to go golfing, then the cardholder automatically has to pay the guest’s taxes.
To get a better idea of the numbers, consider what Peppard’s $7,800 green fee price tag would provide. If Peppard golfed during the most expensive time at Burnaby’s Riverway Golf Course, which is $60 a round, that would give him 131 rounds in a year where greens fees were waived.
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