Councillor calls for details on CBRM mayor's taxpayer-funded trip to China

A Cape Breton Regional Municipality councillor is questioningtravel expenses related toSydney's port development.

District 2Coun.EarleneMacMullinsaid municipal taxpayers paid for the mayor and three municipal staffers to travel to China in December.Municipal CAO Marie Walsh, economic development officer John Phalen and Mayor Cecil Clarke's executive assistant, Mark Bettens,accompanied the mayor on the trip.

Seeking information

Before that trip,investors of the Port of Sydney development group had paid for travel associated with port business, MacMullin said.

She saidshe has never questioned similar trips because the previous council selected the mayor to operate the port development fileand the travel money wasn't coming out of his budget.

"Now thatit's municipal money being used, it gives me an opportunity to reach out and try and find out more information," said MacMullin.

MacMullinsaidshe doesn't believe there is any wrongdoing going on but says since tax dollars are public money, council is responsible for it.

"For taxpayers to pay for this kind of trip, we should have a lot more information on a go forward than we currently do," MacMullin said.

Trip to be discussed

MacMullin saidcurrently council knows nothing about the trips being taken in relation to port development.

"For example, the last trip has four people on it.I'm not exactly sure what each role of each individual was. I don't know why the four of them were required to go," said MacMullin.

She said she would like to see a better flow of information and more control by council of the decision-making process.

MacMullin tried to introduce that as a motion at the regular monthly meeting of CBRM'sgeneral committee on Tuesday. However, the municipal solicitor said it could not go to a votesince a motion passed by a previous council in 2013 gave the mayor authority to make port development decisions.He said that motion would have to be rescinded before MacMullin's could be considered.

When asked for his response by CBC, Clarke suggested that MacMullin, as a first-time councillor,may have a different "perspective" on his work to develop the port on behalf of CBRM.

"There's been a well-established process," he said. "I account for my travel.We also go through all the audit practices and I account for all my expenses.They have to meet the same test as every other employee."

Clarke estimates the entire cost of the China trip for him and his staff will come in at about $30,000, which he does not consider excessive given the potential economic benefits thatcould result for CBRM.

Meanwhile,MacMullinsaid she's not giving up her quest anddoesn't believe Tuesday's ruling on her motion is correct.