The City of Toronto released councillor office expense reports Friday, and Mayor Rob Ford's office was the top spender.
Ford's office spent $44,995.30, with much of that money going to consultant fees on a report into the feasibility of accelerating the Sheppard Subway development.
Ford expensed a total of $28,492.80, made in two payments, on consultant fees paid to a consultant working with former Coun. Gordon Chong's company for the report Toronto Transit: Back on Track, which was released in February 2011.
That report included the suggestion that Toronto could add toll roads to increase revenue, which would help pay for subway development.
Councillors voted against the mayor's underground subway development in February of this year.
As for the biggest-spending councillors, Scarborough Centre Coun. Glenn De Baeremaeker came in at No. 1, with $31,077.34 in expenses, going slightly over his budget of $30,000.
Among De Baeremaeker's expenses was $81 for a raccoon latch for a community environment day event held in his ward on Sept. 24, 2011.
Maybe that latch was needed to keep the raccoons out of the compost. For that same event, the compost cost taxpayers $5,446.37.
For comparison, Coun. Michael Del Grande spent just $250 on compost expenses for his Ward 39 environment day event.
De Baeremaeker also spent $1,017 on two performers from Zero Gravity Circus Productions Inc. for a community Valentine's Day skating party.
The performers included a balloon sculptor and an interactive juggler who would each perform one 1.5-hour set. Even though the city received a $100 discount, the total was $300 an hour for each performer.
Following close behind De Baeremaeker was York West Coun. Anthony Perruzza, who spent $29,791.16. St. Paul's Coun. Joe Mihevic was the third highest spender, with $29,685.
Other interesting purchases included a noise meter bought by Trinity-Spadina Coun. Mike Layton. The expense form says the $90.93 device would be used to "measure sound from neighbouring units/bars/restaurants."
Budget chief Del Grande, one of the lower spenders on the list with just $17,427.35 in expenses, used his account to buy books about lowering expenses.
Del Grande purchased "Complete Idiots Guide to Learn Six Sigma" for $15.88 and "The Lean Six Sigma Guide to Doing More With Less: Cut Costs, Reduce Waste, and Lower Your Overhead" for $22.53. Six Sigma is a lean business model practice.
Del Grande wasn't the only councillor using his expense account to catch up on a reading list. Coun. Michael Thompson spent $8.36 on a book about economics and $21.91 for a copy of "Arrival City: The Financial Migration of Our Next World," by Doug Saunders.
Thompson also did some travelling last year, spending $1,264.82 on costs associated with a trip to China for the Canada-China Business Council's annual meeting.
Some councillors were travelling closer to home. Denzil Minnan-Wong spent $26 on two tickets to the Toronto International Bicycle Show in March 2011.
Many councillors listed charitable donations in the expense claims.
Minnan-Wong, for example, donated $100 to an animal welfare organization called Speaking of Dogs for its indoor yard sale. He also donated $500 to the Victoria Village Bridge Club, a seniors organization that says it enjoys "meeting once a week at the local library for a great game of bridge."
Minnan-Wong also expensed a total of $45 for nine freedom of information requests from both the TTC and the City Clerk's Office.
Two of the requests seemed designed to root out over spenders. One request wanted "the top 25 employees in each city division who claimed mileage in 2010, including detail on amount of mileage claims" and another asked for "the top 25 employees in each city division who claimed overtime in 2010."
Coming in with the fewest expenses was Etobicoke Coun. Doug Ford, who listed no expenditures, but paid $2,016.68 in expenses with personal funds.
Other thrifty councillors included Doug Holyday, with $2,17.30 claimed and Frances Nunziata, who spent just $4,311.
The full expense reports are available on the City of Toronto website.
