Former cabinet minister and current mayor's office liaison Rick Bartolucci's son-in-law was paid close to $2,000 a month for “communications and advisory services” last November and December, according to annual expense reports posted online this week.
Todd Robson is married to Bartolucci's daughter, Angie Robson, who is Vale's director of corporate affairs and sustainability, North Atlantic operations and Asian refineries. Rick Bartolucci helped out on Bigger's re-election campaign last October and is currently acting as a liaison between city staff and developers, a position he said in December is unpaid.
According to the expense report, Robson was paid $1,953.80 for each month, for a total of $3,907.60. The money came from Bigger's office budget, which normally totals $636,160 for the year, and came in $3,884* overbudget in 2018.
Sudbury.com asked Bigger's office why communications services would be contracted out when the city already has a communications department — especially considering the mayor was already overbudget. This is the emailed reply we received Friday morning:
"The mayor's office has always co-ordinated with city staff in the communications department, however, the communications department actually has always provided only limited support to the mayor’s office."
We also asked whether Robson would continue to be paid monthly in 2019, and whether there was any concern about the optics of paying a member of Bartolucci's family for services the city already provides in-house.
"Right now Todd's services are being utilized month-to-month as needed," the email said. "These expenditures are in accordance with the city’s purchasing bylaw."
In the original response to our questions Thursday evening, the mayor's office said “Todd Robson provided communications and strategic support on Mayor Bigger's campaign in the past election. Staff have used Mr. Robson's services to provide continuity in messaging to the public as the mayor's campaign promises are implemented.”
The expense reports also show Bigger earned a total of $149,969.03 in combined salary and benefits in 2018. The top earner on city council was Ward 12 Coun. Joscelyne Landry-Altmann, whose combined earnings totalled $53,354.43, while Ward 3 Coun. Gerry Montpellier made the least at $46,164.31.
Councillors are paid more when they chair or sit on committees.
Ward 2 Coun. Michael Vagnini was the only councillor to exceed their office budget in 2019. Each councillor can spend $9,180 a year, and Vagnini was over by $188.
Most of that amount is a result of the $7,757.65 he spent on meeting expenses, $5,200 more than anyone else claimed on the line item. Raised as an issue during the municipal election campaign, Vagnini defended his office spending.
Landry-Altmann was second in meeting expenses, with $1,519.88, although her total office spending was just $4,743.59.
Ward 8 Coun. Al Sizer was second in total office spending after Vagnini, with a total of $7,803.75. Ward 1 Coun. Mark Signoretti spent the least – $3,252.38.
The report goes the the finance committee March 26. Read the full annual expense report on mayor and council here.
* A spokesperson from Greater Sudbury contacted Sudbury.com to report the original budget overruns posted online overstated Mayor Bigger's office budget deficit. It has since been corrected on the city's website.
