FALL RIVER: The provincial MLA expense scandal has left more then a few people fuming, irritated and in disgust. Barry Dalrymple is no different.
The District 2 representative for Waverley-Fall River-Beaver Bank on Halifax Regional Municipality (HRM) council was left shaking his head in disdain.
“My comment is really no different then every person I’ve run into across the district. Absolute disgust,” Dalrymple said. “It’s hard to even know what to say.
“People are stunned and quite frankly I’m stunned too.”
He was commenting on revelations of inappropriate expenses by MLAs in a recently released report by Auditor General Jacques Lapointe. The report, at first did not disclose the names of the big spenders, but in the hours that followed MLAs came forward and within 24 hours the government was releasing the names of members, which represented all three parties.
Dalrymple didn’t feel it was appropriate for him to comment on a body he had no control over, but did want to advise residents HRM doesn’t have similar accounts for councillors.
“I would much rather explain, and many reporters have checked recently, and they have all found the HRM, as a municipal government does it right,” he said. “First of all, we don’t have those types of expense accounts, nor should we. Secondly on the accounts we do have, which are community accounts, where people can get funding for different community events. I can tell you there aren’t any accounts in HRM that you can get funds from without extensive paperwork.
“To get anything people have to send me a letter, there is criteria that has to be met and in the letter. If it’s not there, I will send it back. I’ve done it many times and when I do get all the criteria sent to my executive assistant in the city, who has to approve it. From there it goes to our office manager, who has to approve it. All of the information is documented and kept on file. You know what, that’s proper accounting.”
He explained he gets a print out of everything that comes out of the account, even for advertising in The Laker.
“I have to send the bill and attach a copy of the ad so they know what their paying for and so they won’t be paying for it two or three times,” Dalrymple said. “Once it’s approved it goes forward. It’s well documented.
“It’s taxpayers’ money. It absolutely has to be documented and has to be safeguarded and goddammit at the end of the day, it has to be respected.”
phealey@enfieldweeklypress.com