There are new questions about how City of Richmond is spending tax dollars.
A Global News investigation using a freedom of information request has revealed that tens of thousands of dollars were spent on a party.
Richmond Mayor Malcolm Brodie says the holiday party called “Jingle,” cost about $119,000 in total.
The city released 4,400 pages of documents following an FOI request made by Global News in April.
Results revealed that for the Jingle party, taxpayers spent about $80,000 on catering, $3,500 on wine, another $3,500 on beer, and $6,000 on an event company which provided mini golf and other games.
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A photo booth cost $1,100 and a separate professional photographer was paid $2,700.
“A year-end party is a time to reflect on what happened in the past, it is an investment in your people, it is a way to build morale,” Brodie told Global News.
One day before the Dec. 12 event at the Richmond Olympic Oval, Richmond issued a press release announcing a 5.86 per cent property tax increase.
When asked about that, Brodie responded, “I’m not sure that the two are connected.”
“We are concerned with every dollar we spend of taxpayer money, it’s just that simple, whether we talk about taxes today in August or we talk about it the day before or after a year-end event, it’s the same,” he said.
“We are trying to maximize the impact of every dollar that we spend, reduce it where we can, and to make sure it’s being used appropriately.”
Door prizes at the Jingle event included gift cards, which are the subject of an ongoing RCMP criminal investigation.
$295,000 worth of gift cards the city bought over three years remain unaccounted for and have, so far, resulted in one person being fired.
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