Niagara council votes to send CAO Carmen D’Angelo on a trade mission to China

It’s been a divisive and dramatic term for Niagara’s regional council and it ended in a similar fashion.

The council’s outgoing chair has voted to send the controversial chief administrative officer on a trade mission overseas.

With council deadlocked in a 50-50 vote, the final say would come down to the outgoing chair and in his last official act after failing to be re-elected, Alan Caslin would vote to send embattled CAO Carmen D’Angelo on a trade mission to China.

“It makes sense for the CAO to go and in that case I’ll vote yes.” Alan Caslin.

The region’s director of economic development says D’Angelo was specifically requested to meet with officials at the China International import expo next week.

Chinese companies are looking to get heads of government or heads of administration. Mr. D’Angelo is head of administration, therefore the private sector felt it important that he go there.

But the planned $4 200 taxpayer funded trip has been met with opposition, including from 4 Niagara mayors who signed a letter objecting to D’Angelo’s attendance.

“The controversy that’s existing over the past several months relative to the CAO, we didn’t feel under those circumstances he was the best representative for the region.” Wayne Redekop, Fort Erie Mayor.

Controversy that includes an ongoing Ombudsman’s investigation into D’Angelo’s hiring. It was prompted after reports he’d been given confidential interview questions by Caslin’s staff prior to getting the job.

Neither D’Angelo nor Caslin responded to request for comment. The new council will convene for the first time on Dec. 6th, the same day they’ll elect a new chair.