Two weeks after concerns were raised about expenses filed by Vancouver’s top bureaucrat, an internal review has cleared Penny Ballem of any wrongdoing.
Mayor Gregor Robertson asked the city's chief financial officer to investigate.
Patrice Impey found all of Ballem's expenses, including a $700 flight to Victoria for the provincial budget lockup, were valid.
The trip involved a last-minute request to attend and it was too late for the city manager to book a seat on a cheaper alternative.
As for a $126 cab ride she billed for, that was for a return trip, not one way.
Critics also accused Ballem of expensing a single passport photo, but Impey confirms four security images were needed to fulfill ID requirements involving a local business event.
Even though Ballem has been vindicated, NPA Coun. George Affleck says it is still important for all city staff to be accountable to taxpayers.
"I'm a true believer in total transparency of government. We as councillors are required to submit regular expense reports that are available for the public to see and I think that should be right across city hall, the provincial government and federal government. We can all get a look and we can all make judgment calls from there."
The city's travel policies were last updated in 2005.