This article appeared in the Coquitlam Now today.

http://www.thenownews.com/022204/news/022204nn10.html

There is also another article in the Tricity News, which does not appear to be online yet, but it essentially says the same thing.

Council asks SPCA for audit, balanced budget

by Simone Blais - Staff Reporter

After reviewing the books, Port Coquitlam council is calling upon the B.C. SPCA to adopt a sustainable budget and conduct an audit.

PoCo's protective services committee recommended council send a letter to the provincial Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals after finding a $4.5- million deficit in the SPCA's unaudited financial statements in 2002.

"We're really encouraging them to be a sustainable organization financially," Coun. Greg Moore said during Monday night's council meeting in introducing the two recommendations. "As we pay for these services, we are asking them and encouraging them to do these two things."

PoCo recently renewed its animal control contract with the SPCA, effective until 2008, and council unanimously approved sending a letter to the SPCA to not only balance its budget but audit its financial statements annually.

The letter said that upon review of the 2002 statement of operations, the city is "concerned with what appears to be an ongoing operating deficit and we urge you to develop a balanced budget."

Nancy Gomerich, director of corporate services, noted in her report to council that while some of the losses relate to the reorganization of the SPCA, a significant portion are related to general operations.

The second portion of the city's letter asks the SPCA to review its books annually, as "an organization relying on a great extent of donations and fundraising should be audited annually, and this is in fact a requirement of the Society Act."

Gomerich also noted in her report that the SPCA's chief executive officer, Craig Daniell, has assured her that the society's 2003 accounts will be audited.