City Audit Committee appoints independent member

Summary#

Montréal city council unanimously adopted a position to appoint Natasha Daswani as an independent member of the City’s existing audit committee. The appointment would run until May 4, 2029; the agglomeration council makes the final decision at a later meeting.

  • The proposed appointment would fill a vacancy left when Suzanne Bourque left the committee in late 2025.
  • The committee advises the City on audits, financial statements, the budget and audit plans, and follows up on action plans responding to audit recommendations.
  • City staff say Daswani has public-sector auditing experience and meets the committee’s experience and finance-related requirements.

What it means for you#

  • Residents: No direct change to services, rights, taxes or eligibility. The decision concerns who sits on an existing oversight committee.
  • The City: If the appointment is approved, Daswani would serve as an independent committee member until May 4, 2029.

Money#

If appointed, Daswani’s remuneration is capped at $17,500 per year.

  • The decision summary cites the existing regulation that sets this maximum. It does not state the amount she is expected to receive or the total cost for the term.

What is unclear#

  • No publicly available information in the supplied material gives the expected remuneration, rather than the annual maximum.
  • The summary describes an interview and selection committee but does not provide comparative details about candidates or the selection assessment.

Case for#

  • City staff say the appointment would fill a vacancy and support stability in the City’s audit oversight.
  • The committee’s stated work includes advising on audit matters and following up on responses to audit recommendations. A member with auditing experience could contribute relevant expertise.

Case against#

  • The appointment would add a public cost, up to the stated annual maximum; the materials do not give the expected amount.
  • The supplied summary gives limited detail about how the selected candidate compared with others, making it hard to assess the selection on that basis.