New details are emerging about a questionable gift card program at the City of Richmond.
Two weeks ago, a Global News investigation found that Richmond had spent an estimated $445,000 on restaurant gift cards over three years.
Results of our freedom of information inquiry produced 493 pages of receipts and emails.
Now we’re learning the questionable program goes further.
“It’s my understanding we’ve got the Keg, the Cactus Club, we’ve got Visa cards, we’ve got Amazon cards, we’ve got Tim Hortons cards,” Richmond Councillor Kash Heed said, during a recent council meeting.
Richmond previously told Global News the gifts are not being reported to Revenue Canada, a concern raised by Mayor Malcolm Brodie to the city’s director of finance, Mike Ching.
Ching defended the decision not to report the giveaways, saying, “We are aware of the CRA’s policy, administrative policy on large gifts and long service.”
“They do have a provision within their policy that allows up to a certain amount to be considered non taxable, non-taxable benefit,” he added.
But it seems distribution wasn’t exactly well accounted for.
One city employee, whom we agreed not to identify, told us many were kept in a bowl and handed out for no particular reason.
A motion to discontinue the use of gift cards goes before council next week.
Richmond says it currently owns $32,000 worth of gift cards. It remains unclear what will happen with that taxpayer-funded property.