Some councillors spent nearly as much as they could, some as little - and as has happened at least once before, furry animal costumes made an appearance in the list of city councillors' 2009 office expenses posted this week.
The list, posted at the city's website, is a detailed accounting of how Toronto politicians spend their discretionary office budgets. In 2009, each councillor was permitted to spend $53,100 on everything from mailings to mileage, community offices to neighbourhood parties.As has been the case in the past, Etobicoke North Councillor Rob Ford spent the least - nothing from his office budget and $708.78 out of his pocket.St. Paul's Councillor Michael Walker spent the most, at $53,052.08. And one of the more unusual expenses came from Scarborough Southwest Councillor Adrian Heaps, who spent $439.50 to rent three costumes - a chipmunk, a dalmation and a black bear - that he used to entertain children at a skating party at the Don Montgomery Community Centre last year.The rental echoes a purchase made by Toronto Council speaker and Beaches-East York Councillor Sandra Bussin, of a bunny suit for a community event, earlier in the term. The bunny suit controversy made front page news - and Bussin was unapologetic.Heaps, whose rental also made front page news, said he had nothing to apologize for either. He said the costumes were worn by local high school students who were performing community service towards their graduation - and he said the costumes drew a lot of children to the skating party that otherwise wouldn't have come."That's the way you get kids on the ice - the trick is attracting them to the rink in the first place," said Heaps. "A quarter of the kids who came out hadn't skated before. In the first two years we did the party only the regulars came out - the minute we had these animals, we had a crowd. If that's what it takes to get them all out, I'm for it."Ford, a constant critic of his colleagues for spending their office budgets, said Heaps shouldn't have rented the costumes in any case."Who does it benefit? It benefits Adrian Heaps," said Ford. "He knows it, all the taxpayers know it, so for him to spin it that way is disgraceful."Ford was a little easier on TTC Chair Adam Giambrone, who spent about $3,000 last year on cabs while chair of the TTC. Ford said that Giambrone, who doesn't drive, shouldn't be expected to take the TTC to all his appointments."I don't believe that as head of the TTC - he should have to ride the Red Rocket all over the city," said Ford. "I don't agree with spending $3,000 on cabs, but he doesn't have to use the TTC. And there are other councillors that use as many cabs as he does."