Springfield councillors spent more on travel than allowed: auditor general

A new Auditor General of Manitoba investigation report found councillors from the Rural Municipality of Springfield claimed more expenses than allowed.

The 34-page report released on Aug. 28 discovered councilors were overpaid $3,000 in ineligible expenses from January to October 2022.

Travel was the most common ineligible expense claimed, said Tyson Shtykalo, Manitoba’s auditor general.

Based on the bylaw that established allowances and and payment conditions for council, Shtykalo said only time engaged in business could be claimed as an expense. It didn’t include travel time.

Shtykalo also investigated allegations in six other municipalities, but found no evidence of wrongdoing in the Rural Municipalities of St. Andrews, Lorne and West St. Paul.

He issued five recommendations to the Manitoba’s Department of Municipal and Northern Relations on implementing more oversight mechanisms for municipalities.

The Springfield council doesn’t dispute Shtykalo’s findings, but said in an Aug. 29 joint statement that councillors were operating under a preexisting expense policy that allowed councilors to claim travel time to and from authorized events. Springfield’s CAO Colleen Draper said the policy has been around since 2002.

An update to both the by-law and expense policy is underway, but not completed yet, the statement said.

“We recognize the importance of consistency between policy and legislation, and we’re actively working toward harmonizing the indemnity by-law with the current expense policy,” the statement said.