Pickering residents have expressed outrage over a City of Pickering proposal that gives one of its officials a freehand to decide how up to $100,000 will be used without any oversight.
“Wow! 😮 This proposal gives a single individual the ability to spend up to $100,000 of taxpayers’ money on public art projects without council oversight. That’s essentially handing over the city’s credit card with no checks or balances until 2027?” said John Meloche, a concerned resident.
“That the purchasing policy (PUR 010) be revised to change the dollar threshold amount that requires council approval from $25,000 to $100,000 for public art purchases or public art projects,” says a Pickering document made public on social media.
“This is not a small administrative change — it’s a massive shift in accountability. The threshold is being raised from $25,000 to $100,000, quadrupling the spending power without requiring council approval,” Meloche pointed out.
The document allows until the first quarter of 2027 before the impact of the authorization is evaluated.
It states that: “…community services staff report back to council in the first quarter of 2027 evaluating these changes.”
“What possible rationale could justify removing elected council from decisions on six-figure expenditures of public money? Transparency and oversight should be strengthened, not weakened,” said Meloche crediting Councillor Lisa Robinson for bringing this to light.