City agencies shouldn’t be allowed to use your money to pay for lobbyists, councillors say [Video]

Taxpayer-funded organizations shouldn’t be allowed to hire consultants or public relations firms to lobby municipal politicians for more city cash, two city councillors say. 

“I’ve been hearing from the community about the discomfort of having public tax funded money being used for external consultants who then lobby council for more budget,” said Ward 11 Coun. Skylar Frank, who along with Ward 7 Coun. Corrine Rahman is asking to have the practice be prohibited.

“People don’t want their money spent in this manner.”

The move to prohibit the practice comes after the London Police Services Board came under fire for spending more than $104,000 on crisis communications firm Navigator to sell an unprecedented budget ask to Londoners and city council. 

“I’m a taxpayer as well and I don’t love the concept of having an agency with the largest budget using taxpayer money to get more money,” Franke said. 

The London Police Services Board hired the crisis communication firm Navigator to …