Metro Vancouver area councillors urge more B.C. oversight of municipal spending

Richmond councillor and former B.C. MLA Kash Heed in a file photo. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck

Four Metro Vancouver area councillors have launched a petition asking the British Columbia government for closer oversight of municipal spending in the province, amid a police investigation into alleged misuse of a city hall gift card program.

Richmond’s Kash Heed, Daniel Fontaine and Paul Minhas from New Westminster and Burnaby’s Richard Lee said Tuesday in an open letter to Premier David Eby that the province needed to either reinstate a specific office to oversee municipal spending or expand the auditor general’s mandate to cover it.

The councillors cited media reports that hundreds of thousands of dollars were spent on gift cards in Richmond, B.C., with little oversight, as well as multiple instances of “questionable expenditures” at the Metro Vancouver Regional District.

Richmond RCMP said its serious crime section had opened an investigation into the gift card case reported by Global News, which says Richmond spent more than $400,000 on the cards in three years.

“Speaking generally, when Richmond RCMP receives a report or a complaint an investigation will be opened,” the Richmond RCMP said in its statement. It added that an assessment whether a matter involves elements of criminality “does not imply that an offence has occurred.”

In a written response, provincial Municipal Affairs Minister Ravi Kahlon said B.C. is “not considering adding an additional oversight body at this time” but is committed to improving local “financial transparency and accountability.”

“We are committed to a strong fiscal partnership with local governments, and we want public financial reports to be easy for people to access and understand,” Kahlon said.

Along with the letter, the councillors have also launched an online petition on the issue, asking for public comment on what they would like to see from the province in terms of municipal spending oversight.

“Unfortunately, this is not an isolated incident,” the letter said about the Richmond gift card case.

“Over the past year, Metro Vancouver has also faced public scrutiny over questionable expenditures, including lavish business-class travel, unnecessary sponsorships, and other spending that appears disconnected from the priorities of local taxpayers.”

The letter also criticized cost overruns and delays at the North Shore Wastewater Treatment Plant as another example of the need for provincial oversight of municipal spending.

“These examples reflect a broader systemic issue: the absence of consistent, independent financial oversight at the municipal and regional levels,” the letter said.

The councillors said in the letter that they are looking to meet with Eby or his staff to discuss possible ways to oversee municipal spending in the province.

The petition website launched by the councillors said the office of the Municipal Auditor General was abolished in 2019, and oversight on spending has since become limited, with “inconsistencies in budget allocations” beginning to emerge.

“Reinstating this office or expanding the BC Auditor General’s powers would provide a much-needed layer of oversight,” the petition said. “It would help uncover mismanagement and ensure that public funds are utilized efficiently and responsibly.”

The petition said any increased oversight would both “enhance accountability” and “rebuild public trust in local governments across Metro Vancouver.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 20, 2025.