Global News has learned that Metro Vancouver has hired a law firm, on the taxpayer’s dime, to investigate how information has been getting released to the media.
Forty-one mayors and councillors, who are also directors at Metro Vancouver, are under investigation.
The regional government launched the investigation, which was sparked by a Global News story about management and dysfunction at Metro Vancouver.
What followed was a threat by Metro Vancouver to probe possible whistleblowers and hire a private investigator.
Global News has now learned that an outside law firm has been retained to investigate how Metro Vancouver’s internal struggles were exposed.
Six directors from Surrey City Hall have also sent a letter to Metro Vancouver saying they are not part of any leak, but they are slamming the investigation.
Get breaking National news
“We believe (it) has been motivated at least in part by the embarrassment,” the letter reads, adding that it is being done at “significant expense to ratepayers (and) the investigation itself appears to be little more than a fishing expedition.”
Surrey Mayor Brenda Locke told Global News that, “I’m absolutely not in favour of them wasting that money on a witch hunt.”
In February, Metro Vancouver’s CAO, Jerry Dobrovolny, refused to say how much taxpayer money might be used in their investigation, but he claimed Global News’ reporting about who is running the organization has been expensive.
Dobrovolny failed to mention his suspension of Chief Financial Officer Harji Varn, a decision that should have come from the board, overstepped his authority, setting in motion a series of costly problems.
Metro Vancouver declined to answer any questions on Wednesday, only saying that it had “no updates to share.”
Housing and Municipal Affairs Minister Christine Boyle said the province is keeping an eye on what is happening at Metro Vancouver.
“But it is up to the elected leaders around the board to navigate themselves for now,” she said.
“We, of course, have also been hearing larger concerns about governance at Metro Van and so we are closely watching Metro Van’s governance review committee and expect that the folks around that table take that work seriously and come back with solutions that improve transparency and accountability for residents.”
Wouldn’t want their employer , aka “The Taxpaying Citizens” to find out what is really going on.
I have to agree with commenter ‘Try This’. If there is an actual crime here then get the police on the case. They are already being paid to do that kind of stuff. This decision to hire lawyers means the public only finds out what the collective directors want us to know, because lawyers are required to keep their mouth shut. It may be difficult for a “fall guy” to clear their reputation if these “investigators” don’t have to talk. And the taxpayer gets stiffed again too.
Maybe Global should publish the information about the report catherine urquhart that they are hiding from the public ? Might make more sense to everyone to see…
Vote for far-left corruption, you’ll get far-left corruption.
When can we get rid of Metro Vancouver? This is a debacle of masterful proportions. From the CEO on down.
This is pretty shameful. Only a weak leader hides behind stifling communication. Metro Vancouver does some great work for the region, a lot of which goes under reported. But acting like this just makes everyone feel like it should be disbanded or at a minimum, the Metro Vancouver board should become an elected body, or maybe even better, a random lottery. Maybe it is time we think about just randomly picking board members like we do juries to inject some new non-political blood into our governing bodies with new perspectives. I honestly feel a random person off the street would do a better than half the politicians we elect every 4 years. It certainly can’t be any worse.
Hate to be the voice of reason, but are not our government officials supposed to be above board, and transparent in their work?
Why is there a ‘leak’ in the first place! – all information (except things of a personal nature) should be not only available to the media, but released in a timely fashion. – there should be an investigation as to why there needed to be a leak in the first place.
Every board member should hang their heads in shame there fleecing the tax payers on overtime earnings and now they have been found out they pay a private investigator at the tax payers dime.
Just disolve the board enough is enough
Save the tax payers money and have Global investigate 🤣🤣🤣