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The City of Richmond will not be hosting a holiday staff party this year.
That decision follows Global BC reporting in September that the city spent $120,000 for its annual 2024 holiday bash at the Richmond Oval.
Richmond taxpayers spent about $80,000 on catering and $7,000 on liquor and another $10,000 on minigolf and other games, including a photo booth and a professional photographer.
The city also spent more than $1,800 on McDonald’s burgers as a late-night snack at the end of the party.
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In a statement to staff, the city’s senior management team says the ‘Jingle’ event has grown in complexity and has become “less feasible.”
“Richmond’s city government has hit taxpayers with spending scandal after spending scandal after spending scandal,” Carson Binda with the Canadian Taxpayers Federation said.
“Whether it’s the $300,000 in missing gift cards, expensive junkets for Olympic Oval staff, or last year’s $118,000 boozy Christmas party, this is a civic government that has a big problem with wasting taxpayer cash.”
City managers have been told to put together small and informal end-of-year celebrations, but the budget for those has not been disclosed.
© 2025 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.
