Global News has learned that Metro Vancouver has hired a law firm, with taxpayer money, to investigate how the information was leaked to the media.
Forty-one mayors and councillors, who are also directors in Metro Vancouver, are under investigation.
The regional government launched the investigation, which was prompted by a Global News story about management and dysfunction in Metro Vancouver.
What followed was a threat from Metro Vancouver to investigate potential whistleblowers and hire a private investigator.
Global News has now learned that an outside law firm has been retained to investigate how Metro Vancouver’s internal struggles were exposed.
Six directors from the City of Surrey have also sent a letter to Metro Vancouver saying they are not part of any leak, but they are slamming the investigation.
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“We believe (it) was motivated at least in part by embarrassment,” the letter reads, adding that it was done at “significant expense to ratepayers (and) the investigation itself appears to be little more than a fishing expedition.”
Surrey Mayor Brenda Locke told Global News that, “I’m absolutely not in favor of them wasting that money on a witch hunt.”
In February, Metro Vancouver CAO Jerry Dobrovolny declined to say how much taxpayer money could be used in their investigation, but he claimed Global News’ reporting on who runs the organization has been expensive.
Dobrovolny did not mention his suspension of chief financial officer Harji Varn, a decision that should have come from the board, exceeded his authority, setting in motion a series of costly problems.
Metro Vancouver declined to answer any questions Wednesday, saying only that it had “no updates to share.”
Housing and Municipal Affairs Minister Christine Boyle said the province is watching what’s happening in Metro Vancouver.
“But it’s up to the elected leaders around the board to navigate themselves for now,” she said.
“We, of course, have also heard larger concerns about governance in Metro Van, and so we’re watching the Metro Van governance review committee closely, and we expect the people around that table to take that work seriously and come back with solutions that improve transparency and accountability for residents.”
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