A judicial inquiry into the Town of Collingwood’s sale of half of its electrical utility, Collus, back in 2012 continued on Monday.
This is the eighth day for the inquiry that was scheduled to continue until June 12, but with a list of 19 witnesses yet to be called; it’s becoming clear it will take more time, and money, to complete.
“You never know what you will discover,” said Fareed Amin, the town’s Chief Administrative Officer. “Timelines are difficult to predict, and costs are difficult to predict. My view is once you get into this, you have to take it to its completion, and this is not something you can get in and out of.”
At this point, the former mayor, former Deputy Mayor, as well as the town’s former CAO and clerk, have been questioned.
An Ontario Energy Board expert provided an overview of the rules on merger and acquisitions at Monday’s inquiry, and they heard from a KPMG consultant and the former Collus CFO, Tim Fryer.
Some witnesses will now be able to submit their evidence in sworn statements to save time.
The CAO said it’s difficult to say how much more the inquiry will cost, but daily spending limits have been set.
The public and see the supporting documents and watch proceedings online.
