Former mayor McDougall pays back $17K in personal expenses charged to CBRM credit card

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Posted this 2025-01-22 9:12 AM AST

Independent investigation examined credit card irregularities attributed to former mayor Amanda McDougall

CBC NewsTom Ayers

Cape Breton Regional Municipality's former mayor has had to pay back nearly $17,000 after an investigation found she used a CBRM credit card for personal expenses.

In December, the municipality hired Sydney, N.S., lawyer Robert Sampson to look into credit card irregularities attributed to former mayor Amanda McDougall, who did not re-offer in October's municipal election.

In a report to council following a three-hour closed-door session Tuesday, Sampson said he and local Grant Thornton accountant…

Continued...

Read the full story on the CBC website

Former mayor McDougall pays back $17K in personal expenses charged to CBRM credit card

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CBC NewsTom Ayers, Posted: Jan 22, 2025 8:05 AM EST | Last Updated: 1 minute ago

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Raymond Mac Donald Follow Me 2025-01-22 10:00 AM AST Reply 0 0 AND.....where was the former CAO who is responsible for OUR money?
Raymond Mac Donald Follow Me 2025-01-23 12:02 PM AST Reply 0 0 The explanations in the Post today and the fact that the mayor and recently retired CAO{who should have had all CBRM credit card statements cross her desk on a regular basis} are gone is not sufficient for the Minister of Municipal Affairs and the Premier and local officials to whitewash this situation.We have the highest property tax rate in Nova Scotia and this behavior is gonna trigger thoughts that this is the reason,not to mention that citizens gotta realize that a stain like this will make other levels of government to think twice before giving us more than the bare minimum.This incident may or may not be the tip of the iceburg but citizens deserve a full forensic audit which is normally called for after only a "quick look" exposed this horrible incident.A normal audit that picks up something like this should call for more and more paper to be turned over for proper scrutiny and enable CBRM a fresh start.
Pauline MacLellan Follow Me 2025-01-23 2:56 PM AST Reply 0 0 I have to harken back to a radio interview done with our (esteemed) Mayor Amanda MacDougall that I listened to in our car (my husband was driving) that flabbergasted both of us. Almost every good question the reporter asked said Mayor replied to with this answer, “I’m a professional you know.” She never answered his good, hard questions except with that answer. Well, I’m here to say that as a “non professional” I can certainly tell the difference between my personal credit card and a company credit card!! Did her office manager have to tell her the difference between the two cards so she would use the correct one?? I mean, duh 🙄! A dental expense, Costco? A moron could tell the difference between Municipal expenses and personal expenses. Her explanation was to blame an office manager who was caring for an ill family member for that?? Oh, very professional Amanda MacDougall!! New Dawn beware!! Raymond Mac Donald Follow Me 2025-01-23 4:25 PM AST Reply 1 0 There is something very fishy about this whole mess and the people I noted above are playing us for "stupid".CAO Walsh got an extremely lucrative golden handshake a few weeks ago and all those credit card statements for ALL cardholders went to her{or should have} directly from CBRM's bank on a regular basis.A 10yo could pick off personal items and ask the cardholder for the appropriate documentation.That was Walsh's responsibility.
Raymond Mac Donald Follow Me 2025-01-26 9:17 PM AST Reply 0 0 NOTE:On Nov.12/24 the mayor and council approved,by a vote of 12 to 1,a golden handshake/buy out package to CBRM CAO/Accountant Marie Walsh,the person who overseen or overlooked the credit card scandal to the tune of almost 1/Million Dollars{:$440,000 plus benefits}.Now that's your tax dollars at work.
Raymond Mac Donald Follow Me 2025-01-29 2:08 PM AST Reply 0 0 As the smoke clears its becoming obvious to the people of CBRM that the Premier and The Minister of Municipal Affairs must have known about the controversial golden handshake of $440,000 plus benefits paid to our CAO/ACCOUNTANT who failed us miserably.No sensible government,busines,organization or private enterprise would issue a payment like that.We deserve an explanation and unless its something we can swallow the 12 reps who approved it should do the honourable and resign.

Depth

Raymond Mac Donald Follow Me 2025-01-22 10:00 AM AST

Reply 0 0

AND.....where was the former CAO who is responsible for OUR money?

Raymond Mac Donald Follow Me 2025-01-23 12:02 PM AST

Reply 0 0

The explanations in the Post today and the fact that the mayor and recently retired CAO{who should have had all CBRM credit card statements cross her desk on a regular basis} are gone is not sufficient for the Minister of Municipal Affairs and the Premier and local officials to whitewash this situation.We have the highest property tax rate in Nova Scotia and this behavior is gonna trigger thoughts that this is the reason,not to mention that citizens gotta realize that a stain like this will make other levels of government to think twice before giving us more than the bare minimum.This incident may or may not be the tip of the iceburg but citizens deserve a full forensic audit which is normally called for after only a "quick look" exposed this horrible incident.A normal audit that picks up something like this should call for more and more paper to be turned over for proper scrutiny and enable CBRM a fresh start.

Pauline MacLellan Follow Me 2025-01-23 2:56 PM AST

Reply 0 0

I have to harken back to a radio interview done with our (esteemed) Mayor Amanda MacDougall that I listened to in our car (my husband was driving) that flabbergasted both of us. Almost every good question the reporter asked said Mayor replied to with this answer, “I’m a professional you know.” She never answered his good, hard questions except with that answer. Well, I’m here to say that as a “non professional” I can certainly tell the difference between my personal credit card and a company credit card!! Did her office manager have to tell her the difference between the two cards so she would use the correct one?? I mean, duh 🙄! A dental expense, Costco? A moron could tell the difference between Municipal expenses and personal expenses. Her explanation was to blame an office manager who was caring for an ill family member for that?? Oh, very professional Amanda MacDougall!! New Dawn beware!!

Raymond Mac Donald Follow Me 2025-01-23 4:25 PM AST

Reply 1 0

There is something very fishy about this whole mess and the people I noted above are playing us for "stupid".CAO Walsh got an extremely lucrative golden handshake a few weeks ago and all those credit card statements for ALL cardholders went to her{or should have} directly from CBRM's bank on a regular basis.A 10yo could pick off personal items and ask the cardholder for the appropriate documentation.That was Walsh's responsibility.

Raymond Mac Donald Follow Me 2025-01-26 9:17 PM AST

Reply 0 0

NOTE:On Nov.12/24 the mayor and council approved,by a vote of 12 to 1,a golden handshake/buy out package to CBRM CAO/Accountant Marie Walsh,the person who overseen or overlooked the credit card scandal to the tune of almost 1/Million Dollars{:$440,000 plus benefits}.Now that's your tax dollars at work.

Raymond Mac Donald Follow Me 2025-01-29 2:08 PM AST

Reply 0 0

As the smoke clears its becoming obvious to the people of CBRM that the Premier and The Minister of Municipal Affairs must have known about the controversial golden handshake of $440,000 plus benefits paid to our CAO/ACCOUNTANT who failed us miserably.No sensible government,busines,organization or private enterprise would issue a payment like that.We deserve an explanation and unless its something we can swallow the 12 reps who approved it should do the honourable and resign.

goCapeBreton.com

Former mayor McDougall pays back $17K in personal expenses charged to CBRM credit card

Independent investigation examined credit card irregularities attributed to former mayor Amanda McDougall

Continued...

Read the full story on the CBC website

Former mayor McDougall pays back $17K in personal expenses charged to CBRM credit card

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