Brampton Funds $5,244 Washington Trip for Rod Power

Brampton Taxpayers Fund $5,244 Washington Trip for Councillor Rod Power and City Staffer

Brampton taxpayers footed a bill of more than $5,000 to send City Councillor Rod Power and a senior municipal employee to Washington, D.C., in September 2023 for a three-day cultural festival and economic development meetings. Freedom of information records obtained by thepointer.com detailed flights, duplicate hotel bookings, and restaurant expenses that have renewed scrutiny over municipal spending during Mayor Patrick Brown’s term.

Accountability under Patrick Brown’s leadership has been a frequently raised topic during the municipal election campaign. While Brown was absent from a recent gathering of mayoral candidates, attending politicians signed a pledge to dramatically improve transparency and accountability inside City Hall. Lavish spending on frequent foreign trips by council members and senior staff has emerged as a concern for residents.

The pointer.com conducted a freedom of information investigation yielding hundreds of pages of documents detailing trips this council term to Tokyo, Manila, Portugal, the Middle East, Europe, India, Taiwan, and various American destinations. These journeys proceeded with little transparency and no meaningful benefits to Brampton taxpayers. Among these records, the investigation examined the September 2023 trip to Washington, D.C., undertaken by Councillor Power and Clare Barnett, director of economic development at the City of Brampton.

The delegation attended “The Art of Living World Cultural Festival” alongside scheduled meetings intended to attract investments to Brampton. Daily itineraries showed the officials met with Robert Capecchi, policy officer at the trade and investment office in Washington, at 2 p.m. on September 28, 2023. Later that day after 4 p.m., they met with Andrea Clements, senior trade commissioner at the Embassy of Canada.

Redacted Itineraries and Duplicate Hotel Bookings Fuel Transparency Questions

Significant portions of the Washington itinerary remain obscured by municipal redactions. Information covering September 29 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., and from 3 p.m. until the festival started at 6 p.m., was censored by City of Brampton staff before the records were released under freedom of information laws. The pointer.com submitted questions to the City’s media relations department regarding why meeting locations and details were redacted and who approved the removal, but received no response.

The unredacted portions confirmed a scheduled meeting on September 29, 2023, with Sara Adams, Washington’s director of business attraction and investment at the office of the deputy mayor for planning and economic development, and Jamie Scott, deputy director of business development.

Financial records showed the overall cost of the trip reached approximately $5,244 CAD. This total included $2,162 for airfare and $1,928 CAD for hotel accommodations. Return Air Canada flights for both officials were booked from Toronto to Washington, D.C.

Hotel records introduced further confusion regarding lodging arrangements. Hilton Hotels and Resorts was booked twice under Clare Barnett’s name. One receipt dated September 29 showed two guest rooms booked for a total of $895 USD. A second receipt, also bearing only Barnett’s name, covered a one-night stay on September 28 costing $528 USD. City staff provided no explanation for why the hotel stay was booked twice, and no hotel receipt appeared under Councillor Power’s name. Power did not respond to questions.

Officials Billed Meals and Transport to Municipal Accounts

While in Washington, the pair incurred multiple meal expenses billed to municipal accounts. Records showed an $87 USD charge at The Capital Grille and two separate charges at Lenfant Grill totaling $84 USD and $87 USD on September 28, 2023. Additional food and beverage purchases included coffee and pastries at Starbucks and airport cafes. These included an $11.16 USD charge for a cranberry muffin and medium caffe latte at Dulles International Airport on October 1, and $19.22 USD for breakfast at Union Kitchen in Eckington.

Domestic food purchases also appeared in the files. A breakfast at Pearson International Airport cost $19.48 CAD on September 28, while a food and drink purchase at the Hilton in Washington cost $17.55 USD on September 29.

Ground transportation added hundreds of dollars to the public tab. Uber and taxi charges during the three-day trip totaled $745.85 CAD. Individual charges included an Uber ride associated with Councillor Power from the hotel to the airport for $139.45 CAD on October 1, a separate $134.56 CAD Uber charge by Power, a $53 CAD Aerofleet Cab service in Mississauga, and an $82.07 CAD Uber booked by Barnett on October 1.

The pointer.com asked Councillor Power and city staff to explain what concrete outcomes resulted directly from participating in the World Culture Festival, specifically asking if any meaningful investments, business openings, or new jobs materialized for Brampton. Neither responded.

This Washington excursion fits into a broader pattern of council travel under Mayor Patrick Brown. The pointer.com has previously documented Councillor Gurpartap Singh Toor’s October 2023 trip to Detroit, alongside international travel undertaken by Councillors Rowena Santos and Paul Vicente.