MONTREAL - Charles Lapointe, the bureaucrat fingered by the Quebec Auditor General's report for his high salary during his past stint as Montreal tourism boss, has acceded to pressure and stepped down as president of the Montreal Arts Council.
Lapointe, who was previously CEO of Tourism Montreal, had been leading the Montreal Arts Council, a volunteer position, since January 2013.
Mayor Denis Coderre had called for his resignation earlier in the day and stated in no uncertain terms that he felt that Lapointe’s high salary and benefits in his previous job were inappropriate.
“People are pissed off and rightfully, and you know, you never defend the indefensible, so let’s put it this way, I’m swearing a lot on the inside right now,” said Coderre when asked about Lapointe.
Quebec Auditor General Michel Samson noted in his annual report released Wednesday that Lapointe earned an exorbitant $398,000 per year and then was handed more than $650,000 as a retirement package. Lapointe also received automobile expenses for $72,000, travel expenses for $10,000.
He charged the agency nearly $40,000 in meals and $4,100 in alcohol bills between 2011 and 2013 while at the helm of the publicly-funded agency.
Lapointe was the highest-paid bureaucrat in Quebec.
On Thursday the Quebec National Assembly agreed to convene with leaders from Tourism Montreal to discuss their management decisions.
Tourism Montreal has defended the payments as standard for such positions.
