Springwater mayor loses bid to stop second audit of election expenses
Court rules French’s application premature
By Rick Vanderlinde Barrie Advance
Springwater Mayor Bill French has been ordered to pay $20,000 in court costs after his bid to quash a second audit of his 2014 election expenses was rejected by Ontario’s Divisional Court.
A panel of three judges ruled French’s application to reject the township’s compliance audit committee’s decision to ask for a second audit in 2015 was premature.
The court also said the audit committee can now proceed with the second audit of French’s election expenses.
In the written ruling, Justice Anne Molloy said the second audit could have been completed two years ago if not for French’s refusal to co-operate.
During a Dec. 18 hearing, Justice Molloy rejected French’s argument that the term of the election audit committee had expired.
Leave a Reply