After an extensive review, the North Bay city council is set to discuss Mayor Peter Chirico’s use of a corporate credit card for personal expenses totaling over $17,000 at a meeting on Wednesday evening. Mayor Chirico had previously acknowledged the spending and apologized, noting that he had already reimbursed the city for the expenses.
Earlier this year, instead of conducting an audit into the mayor’s expenditures, city councillors opted to refer the matter to the integrity commissioner for further investigation. According to Guy Giorno’s report, Mayor Chirico was found to have breached the code of conduct, particularly in relation to $5,557.77 of the total amount repaid to the city.
The report details three main categories of expenses that were deemed violations: personal meals, hockey tickets, and golf-related costs. It highlights instances where the mayor had claimed personal expenses, such as meals with family members, as city-related activities. Additionally, it mentions that Mayor Chirico used the city’s credit card to purchase hockey tickets and golfing expenses, which were not considered as part of city business.
Giorno’s report also noted that certain expenses, such as gas and car washes, were mistakenly charged to the city but were later corrected by Mayor Chirico, who repaid the amounts and ceased identifying personal expenses as city-related. The integrity commissioner found that some actions, like the purchase of cigarettes using city funds, were likely inadvertent errors.
While the report outlines potential actions the city council could take against the mayor, it does not make any specific recommendations for punitive measures. However, it does suggest revising city policies on expense claims to prevent similar issues in the future.
Following the presentation of the report at the council meeting, possible actions against Mayor Chirico could include an official reprimand, a deduction in pay for up to 90 days, or no action at all. In response to the report, Mayor Chirico expressed his acceptance of the findings and emphasized that all personal expenses had been transparently claimed and fully reimbursed.
Moving forward, Mayor Chirico reiterated his commitment to serving the community and addressing any misunderstandings surrounding expense claims to ensure compliance with city policies.
