Tighten up expenses: Trustee

By DON PEAT, TORONTO SUN

One Toronto public trustee is trying to toughen the board's new trustee expe nse rules.

Trustee Josh Matlow wants his fellow Toronto District School Board trustees to be more accountable for the taxpayers' dollars they spend to travel outside Ontario to attend conferences.

Matlow's motion goes to the board's planning and priorities committee next week.

In it he proposes travelling trustees produce a description of the activity they attended, a report on what they learned and a summary of the total cost with receipts.

The St. Paul's trustee said there are too many trustee trips and questions how trustees can justify travelling outside the city at all.

SHOW RECEIPTS

"Bottom line, if this is going to happen ... bring us a report," Matlow said. "Show us your receipts.

Once trustees submit the travel report, he wants it posted on the board's website.

Last month public trustees voted to formally cap their claimable spending at $30,000.

The change means they will no longer be able to overspend their budgets. They also added a list of ineligible expenses, including booze, cable TV installation and theatre tickets.

Although Matlow said the recent changes give the board "the strongest, most accountable expense policy in Ontario," trustees could still do better by passing his proposed motion.

"This is something that needs to be incorporated into our expenses," he said. "The TDSB has gone far to ensure accountability."

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