Councillor Michael Walker is on a fact-finding mission to discover what happened to about $5.7 million worth of funding for parks in his ward.

Millions in levies have piled up in Ward 22 since 2001, but only $242,000 has been spent on area parks in the past six years.

This according to documentation Walker has obtained from city staff after persistent inquiry.

“I want to ensure we have money from that park levy,” Walker said Nov. 5 from his city hall office. “It doesn’t appear that the policy is being adhered to.

“It appears that money is being funneled into other wards.”

When developers get building approvals for larger projects, they can be required to pay cash-in-lieu of parks.

The way the policy stands now, half of the parks levy generated in a specific ward is supposed to be spent locally and the remaining 50 percent is dished out to city parks, said Walker.

Over the past 18 to 24 months, Walker said, he could not get a straight answer on how much park money his ward could access.

That led to his probing of Parks Department staff and several meetings including one Nov. 5, with department general manager Brenda Librecz.

Calls to Librecz were not returned at press time.

“It’s a little premature, but I think we will be able to access money,” he said. “It’s a park deficient area and a growth area.”

Part of the solution will come when the rules are firmed up with a revised parks levy policy, which is expected in the new year, he said. “It appears, if the new policy is implemented and acted upon, we’ll get fair treatment,” Walker added.

“It appears we haven’t been getting fair treatment.” Walker said he should not have had to push so hard for answers on these funds.

“I find this administration, four years old, was supposed to be open and transparent,” he said.

“It doesn’t smell that way.”