Calgary Board of Education defends pricey retirement dinners

The Calgary Board of Education is defending its original decision not to reveal retirement dinner costs.

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The board admittedit spent more than $3,300of taxpayers' money when100 senior executives attendeda dinner last springat the Earl Grey Golf Club.

It turns out it was the seconddinner held for the retiree,as the first was at arestaurant inBridgeland.The finalbill for that event was nearly $1,500 for 16 people, including districtsuperintendents and their spouses.

"We have to make sure theCBEis spending our money properly," saidRickLundy, a school trustee candidatein wards 3 and 4.

He says the timing of the dinners is offensive because theywere held after the board learned of provincial funding cuts to education.

"It isn't a large amount, but how many of these are they doing?"Lundyasked.

"What else are they doing?... It does add up and when you have education in the shape that it's in, when you have classroomsballooning where they are, that's where we want the money going."

The public school boardsays it did not release the expensesat firstbecause the event was categorized as an employee recognition and acknowledgement event. TheCBE says itfalls under the category of corporate events, and therefore disclosure was not required.

CBEeventually did releasethe expensesbecause it said the public and media were interested.

DerekFildebrandt, the Alberta director of the Canadian Taxpayers Federation,says this latest case raises serious questions.

"This is one thing they've been caught on," he said."When you pull one thread out of a government, there'sprobably many, many more."

The board released a statement sayingit will review howthe retirement of "long-term senior employees" will be recognized.