Brampton Mayor Susan Fennell racks up $186,000 in expenses

Brampton Mayor Susan Fennell has expensed taxpayers over the past three years for items such as $2,160 on personalized barbecue aprons, $3,191 for a seat upgrade on a trip to India, $1,326 for Mandarin lessons and $1,500 for an orchestra performance.

The recently disclosed expenses from December 2010 to September 2013 total more than $186,000. Some residents are expressing outrage about the expenses after the figures were released last week, in response to a freedom of information request by the Brampton Guardian.

In Brampton, the front yard has no clothes

Toronto may not allow you to eat shark fin soup or raise chickens, and Mississauga is thinking about restricting bird feeders and sales of graffiti-capable art supplies to minors.

But only Brampton wants to decree where you should hang your wet laundry. And it’s not in the front yard.

Brampton council recently asked city staff to report back on how to ban the hanging of laundry in front yards. The fact that city staff say there isn’t really a big problem with unslightly laundry didn’t wash with councillors.