Some Vancouver city councillors sure like the Vancouver Whitecaps.
Vision councillors Heather Deal and Tim Stevenson, COPE Coun. David Cadman and NPA councillor and mayoral candidate Suzanne Anton all kept Whitecaps jerseys and scarves given to them by the soccer club.
The councillors reported the receipt of the merchandise in "gift" disclosure forms filed at city hall. They estimated the cost of a jersey at $110 and a scarf at $30, according to details in the forms.
The councillors received the merchandise as part of a flag-raising ceremony March 14, 2011 at city hall to proclaim "Whitecaps Day." The four councillors wrote they kept the jerseys and scarves for "personal use," while Vision Coun. Geoff Meggs said he "re-gifted" the merchandise to Whitecaps fans.
It's not clear from the documents whether Mayor Gregor Robertson or the other members of city council received the same merchandise-and if they did, whether they kept it or donated the gear to someone else.
The mayor and council are required under the city's Charter to disclose any gifts or personal benefits exceeding $50. That includes cash, gift cards, tickets to events, clothing, jewelry, pens, food or beverages, discounts on personal purchases, free or subsidized drinks or meals, entertainment and invitations to social functions organized by groups or community organizations.
The Courier has published several stories since 2008 about freebies given to former and current city councillors, including a dinner and a yacht ride to watch fireworks in English Bay, tickets to Cirque du Soleil, Canucks games and a night in a private box at Rogers Arena to watch Bruce Springsteen.
Concord Developments Inc., which has contributed thousands of dollars over the years to the NPA and Vision Vancouver, provided the freebies.
Concord also attended both parties' fundraisers in this election campaign.
Since the article was published, the Courier's regular checks of disclosure forms have shown a dramatic decrease in the number and worth of gifts disclosed by councillors.
The city has also tightened up its gift disclosure policy, saying in a staff report in March that "the existing language has proven difficult to interpret and administer."
Previously, the mayor and council had to disclose any gift or personal benefit exceeding $250. That threshold is now $50. But while the city clerk remains the "custodian" of the disclosure forms, the onus to file continues to rest with the politician, who must report the gift or personal benefit "as soon as practicable."
Robertson has not made a disclosure since elected in November 2008. He told the Courier in an earlier interview that he doesn't accept gifts. Some of his Vision councillors have disclosed receiving free Olympic gear worth $375-some kept it, some returned it to VANOC or donated it to a community centre.
Deal accepted a pair of $700 tickets to the Juno Awards and Vision Coun. Andrea Reimer accepted a pair of $300 tickets to a performance at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre. Anton, who attended the Springsteen concert in the previous term, accepted a pair of tickets worth $1,200 to a gala at the Vancouver Art Gallery. She also kept her Olympic, jacket, toque and T-shirt.
Vision Coun. Kerry Jang has filed the most gift disclosures in this term. He and his son attended a Canucks game after receiving a $210 pair from the Canucks Autism Network. Other gifts have included an orange silk necktie from the deputy secretary general of the Shanghai municipal peoples' government, a Taiwanese food basket from T&T Supermarket and two flower bulbs and a jar of homemade jelly from Collingwood Neighbourhood House.
Price of the jelly?
"Priceless value as it was made with love," Jang wrote.
City manager Penny Ballem is the only staff member to disclose a gift since the Courier requested information from city hall on disclosures in 2008. Ballem received $3,500 from a speaking engagement at the Vancouver Fraser Port Authority and recommended it be donated to the United Way.
Twitter: @Howellings
