Surrey council launches external investigation into 3 councillors’ alleged misleading statements [Video]

Surrey council has voted at a closed-door meeting to launch an external investigation into three city councillors, two of whom criticized staff after being forced to file a freedom of information request to access city files.

A statement from the city said the investigation was ordered over concerns the councillors may have violated city policies by disclosing confidential council information to the public and misrepresenting city staff directives. 

It said the closed-door meeting was held on Friday to address recent public statements made by councillors Mike Bose and Linda Annis regarding the city’s contract with Hunden Strategic Partners Inc., a Chicago-based real estate consulting firm hired to advise on two new entertainment districts in the city.

Bose and Annis released a statementto the media last week that Bose had requested details of the contract from the city’s finance department. The councillor said he was reportedly told that he would need to file a formal freedom of information (FOI) request to access the documents, something …