Moncton sewerage commission promises accountability

The Greater Moncton Sewerage Commission promised to be more open and accountable to Moncton, Dieppe and Riverview councils during a special meeting held Tuesday night.

But none of the members apologized for the way the commission has been run in the past, despite a recent scathing report by the auditor general.

The report, released in October, found a series of problemsranging from excessive travel to financial mismanagement.

The three city councils called on the commission to appear at a public meeting to defend its spending.

Commission treasurer Doug Baker presented council members with a 15-point plan for change, starting with an annual report.

The commission will also provide quarterly statements of their expenses to each municipality, create a new code of conduct and hold an annual meeting, Baker said.

The commission's long-time chairman, Ron LeBlanc, alsohinted to council members that he maystep down.

LeBlanc, who has held the position since 1983, was singled out in the auditor general's report for questionable spending, including his Blackberry bill that averaged $550 a month, and $9,600 a year in office expenses, for which no invoices were filed, and $5,800 in claims for travel, which did not include supporting invoices.

LeBlanc has defended the commission,saying it has served the community well, and has described the call for him to step down by Liberal MLA Donald Arseneault, a former Liberal cabinet minister, "petty politics."

Riverview Coun. Claude Curwin said the commission has actually done great work by being at the forefront of wastewater management, including being a worldwide leader when it comes to turning waste into usable compost.

However, its secret and questionable finances have jeopardized that work, he said.

"If we employ a means to achieve a certain end that causes the public to lose confidence, then we have not accomplished anything."

Board taken to task

Dieppe Coun. Paul LeBlanc questioned why the commission's board, which is made up of lawyers and accountants, didn't realize there were problems with the way the commission was operating.

"Each one of your professions are regulated by a code of conduct that each of you, to keep your licences and practise in the domain that you work, would bring to the table," LeBlanc said.

"Well, I read that you didn't have AGMs, annual general meetings. I was under the impression that you would bring that professional attitude to the board table and all of that would have prevented this."

Moncton Coun. Brian Hicks said greater accountability would have allowed the three communities to take action to stop the extravagant international trips and Christmas parties cited by the auditor general immediately.

"No elected officials to my knowledge knew anything about the trips, parties," he said.

The three city councils plan to ask the province for more say over how the commission is run.

The commission's chair said he will move on once that process is complete.

Auditor General Kim MacPherson called on the provincial government to strengthen the governance and accountability of wastewater commissions in her report.

She reviewed the three largest commissions in the province - the Greater Moncton Sewerage Commission, the Greater Shediac Sewerage Commission and the Fredericton Area Pollution Control Commission following concerns by members of the public as well as a former minister of environment.

A line-by-line comparison of revenues, expenditures and reserves reported in the financial statements of the three commissions showed some "significant differences" in the expenditure patterns and reserves in Moncton, the report states.

The Opposition Liberals have called for a public inquiryand for the chairman to be immediately removed from his position.

Environment Minister Margaret-Ann Blaney has said she's willing to look at changesto the way wastewater commissions are run, but she is not prepared to fire anyone.