Montreal’s City Auditor Urges Tighter Control on Public Fund Spending
Montreal’s Auditor General, Andrée Cossette, has highlighted the need for better oversight of public fund expenditures in the city. Following the release of the 2025 audit report, Cossette expressed concerns about the lack of proper monitoring and accountability surrounding official expenses and research costs.
The report revealed significant discrepancies in how Montreal City Hall officials were utilizing public funds, particularly in areas such as hotel and meal expenses. It was found that over half of these expenses exceeded the federal rates set for city employees, indicating a lack of internal guidelines on expenditure.
To address these issues, the auditor recommended implementing stricter control measures to ensure transparency and consistency in expense management. While air travel expenses were generally compliant with regulations, instances of business-class upgrades being reimbursed without proper documentation were identified.
Furthermore, the report highlighted inconsistencies in the expense approval processes across different departments and boroughs, raising concerns about potential conflicts of interest. The hierarchical relationship between the borough administration and the council came under scrutiny for its implications on the impartiality of expenditure approvals.
This call for improved oversight comes in the wake of a 2023 scandal involving controversial spending practices at City Hall, which led to the resignation of Dominique Ollivier as president of the executive committee. The incident, which involved extravagant expenses like a $350 oyster dinner, underscored the importance of enforcing stricter controls on public fund utilization.
