RCMP Investigating Halifax Mayor Andy Fillmore's Office Expenses After Audit Flags Policy Violations
Halifax's auditor general referred four financial transactions from Mayor Andy Fillmore's office to the RCMP after a late June audit found they violated municipal policy. The flagged expenses include un-tendered contracts for a speech consultant and office restructuring, as well as misclassified legal advice costs that Fillmore later reimbursed.
A municipal audit conducted in late June identified four financial transactions from Halifax Mayor Andy Fillmore’s office that did not follow Halifax Regional Municipality policy, prompting the city's auditor general to refer the matter to police. The auditor general stated the expenses exceeded his "comfort zone" and noted that only law enforcement can determine illegality. The Nova Scotia RCMP confirmed their investigation continues but declined to provide further details.
Among the flagged expenses was approximately $14,000 paid to a consultant to assist with the mayor’s April 2025 Halifax Chamber of Commerce speech. Additionally, around $90,000 was spent to restructure the mayor's office, exceeding the original expected cost of about $50,000. According to the auditor general, neither the speech consultant nor the office restructuring contracts were sent for competitive tender, which violates city policy.
Two other items totaling nearly $7,700 involved external legal advice regarding code-of-conduct complaints against Fillmore. The second legal expense, logged in November 2025, was classified as "other goods and services" despite staff being told such advice could not be expensed. Fillmore reimbursed the city for these two legal expenses in February after senior staff directed him to do so.
Fillmore attributed the situation to organizational changes, stating it was a side effect of the former chief administrative officer spinning the mayor's office out independently without providing purchasing training to staff. The mayor’s office became an independent unit rather than falling under the CAO’s office as of Oct. 1, 2025.
Former CAO Cathie O’Toole disputed this explanation. In an email sent on June 26 to Coun. Cathy Deagle Gammon, O'Toole stated Fillmore's comment about a lack of training was "not factually correct." She noted that finance staff provided "white glove" service and training to new employees in the mayor's office, adding that identifying additional training needs was up to the mayor.
Residents have written to the city expressing disappointment over the spending, contrasting the use of funds for external consultants with a lack of money for potholes and infrastructure repairs. Meanwhile, regional council unanimously backed Fillmore’s motion for new CAO Marnie Cluckie to provide a staff report reviewing the decision to make the mayor's office independent.