Report raps trustees over expenses, 'entitlement'
TCDSB trustees spend more than peers in other boards
A 260 per cent increase in governance costs in just four years spells a shift towards a "culture of entitlement" among Toronto Catholic trustees, says a report released this week.
Enhancing Public Trust and Confidence, a review of all expenditure claims made by current trustees of the Toronto Catholic District School Board (TCDSB) between November 2003 to November 2007, stated that total expenses board-wide have ballooned to $1,286,614 from $488,268 during that period.
Now touted as having one of the highest governance costs in the province, the TCDSB spends an annual average of more than $100,000 per elected trustee or nearly $15 per pupil - significantly above the $400,000 in total grants provided for that purpose and far outspending that of similarly sized boards in the same jurisdiction. The TDSB spends an average of $67,000 per trustee (about $6 per student) and the Dufferin-Peel Catholic District School Board an average of $27,000 per trustee (about $3.62 per student), the report states.
Attributed mainly to the additional costs of services and "discretionary expenditures" trustees have provided for themselves - including dry cleaning, shoe repairs, personal software, MTO licence fees and mini-bar fees - provincial adviser Norbert Hartmann's report states that the pattern of expenses indicates trustees, "provide themselves benefit and services not permitted by the Education Act; incur expenses unrelated to their responsibilities as board members; and exercise powers to allocate funds that are not provided in legislation."
And Education Minister Kathleen Wynne was quick to weigh in: "We have been clear that board trustees are expected to make spending decisions in a transparent and accountable manner. That goes for decisions about their own expenses and about how they spend to support students."
Despite appropriate design, the process by which trustees have filed for expense reimbursements failed in its application, the report stated.
"As one trustee put it, 'Trustees saw themselves as mini councillors. Expenses were considered a personal prerogative. Accountability was seen as between trustees and their constituents,'" the report reads.
Hartmann further stated that most trustees interviewed over the course of the review acknowledged that the emergence of a culture of entitlement and the politicization of the approval process prevented the operation of normal control processes.
"Since 2003, our policies have been revised several times," board chair Catherine LeBlanc-Miller, who initiated the review, said in a statement. "Based on the findings by Mr. Hartmann, it appears that there are inconsistencies in how the policies are interpreted. I know my fellow trustees will work towards ensuring that we have policies that are accountable, transparent and consistent with provincial expectations."
The Enhancing Public Trust and Confidence report resulted in 20 recommendations to the board. Among them:
- the overturning of a Jan. 17, 2007 motion authorizing the payment of medical, dental and life insurance benefits for trustees.
- the requirement that trustees return all equipment and supplies purchased during their tenure to the board at the end of their term.
- the exclusion of donations to community groups, sporting clubs or charitable donations from trustees' discretionary budget provisions.
- the revocation of trustees' $8,604 annual car allowance in favour of out-of-pocket car expenses or per-kilometre rates.
- the adoption a code of conduct similar to that of the City of Toronto prohibiting trustees from hiring relatives or those of other sitting members.
Trust, Hartmann concluded, is a "fragile commodity - difficult to maintain and even harder to re-establish once it has slipped away.
"What appears to have been questionable or inappropriate use of public funds by some trustees has significantly strained trust...if the board is to move forward, this is the core issue that must be addressed."
Wynne has asked the board to report to the ministry on its plan to implement the review's recommendations by May 21, with an expected implementation date of June 30. LeBlanc-Miller said the board will continue to work with the Minister to finalize revisions within that time frame.
"Although it has been challenging for us, because the report was provided in such a timely fashion, it allows us to move forward quickly with clearer policies and procedures that will help to restore the trust and confidence of our constituents."
