Furious Corporation of Hamilton members ordered Mayor Sutherland Madeiros to suspend work on a wide-ranging review of the City after it had already cost taxpayers almost $44,000.

Mr. Madeiros was told by his Aldermen and Councillors that he acted outside of his authority by rescinding their decision to set a deadline for completion of the Mayor's Commission and that subsequent costs were not properly authorised, according to leaked documents.

The publicly funded Corporation estimated that completing the project would ultimately cost more than $76,000 — so the project was ditched and the commission's report on the City has never been officially published.

Former Common Councillor Graeme Outerbridge has given The Royal Gazette copies of correspondence showing how the commission went on far longer than expected and caused a rift within the municipality. Internal ledgers also reveal how the cost of the project ran into tens of thousands of dollars.

Mr. Madeiros told this newspaper he was saddened that members had not supported the project. He pledged to put the document before them as soon as possible in the hope of getting them to agree to make it public.

The Mayor's Commission was launched by Jay Bluck in July, 2006 to look at City issues including high-rise buildings and parking and was aimed at providing the capital with a development plan for the future.

Fourteen volunteers agreed to sit on the commission and $120-an-hour consultant Peter Adwick, then of chartered architects Butterworth Associates, was appointed Commission Secretary and hired to produce the final report.

The project was shelved after Mr. Bluck died in September 2006 but was reignited by his successor and friend Mr. Madeiros.

Last summer, Corporation members decided a deadline needed to be set and told the commission to complete its meetings by September 12; they felt the $43,847 already charged by Mr. Adwick was ample to finish the review.

Mr. Outerbridge explained: "The members just felt we have got to put a stop to this. The members said let's draw it to a close and ask for a wrap-up fee."

But Mr. Madeiros took a different view and wrote to commission chairman J.C. (Kit) Astwood on September 11 to say it was "wholly inappropriate" for a deadline to have been imposed and that the commissioners should complete their task.

On January 4 this year, however, Mr. Madeiros was forced to write to Mr. Adwick advising him that members had pulled the plug on the commission.

The Mayor wrote: "The members believe that I acted outside of my authority by virtue of my letter to Mr. J.C. Astwood dated September 11, 2007 reconvening the Mayor's Commission and that any subsequent expenditure was not properly authorised. It was generally felt that the deliberations of the Commission went on far longer than was originally expected and that the amount billed, and I believe paid, up to and including September 12, of $43,847.05 was more than adequate to meet the Commission's mandate, including the preparation of the final report."

Mr. Adwick — who by this time was charging $132 an hour — replied on January 25 expressing his "deep concern" at the members' "extraordinary" decision and suggesting that the Corporation was not acting in the way one would expect from a "responsible public authority".

The senior planner agreed that the commission had overrun but said it was unreasonable for the Corporation to expect to receive the final report without additional payment. An internal Corporation ledger shows that between September, 2006 and November, 2007 more than $48,000 was paid out for the commission, with the final bill expected to top $76,000.

But instead of the glossy colour report the commissioners expected to hand publicly to the Mayor on the steps of City Hall, a black and white plain paper copy was passed to Mr. Madeiros in private by Mr. Astwood earlier this year.

The Royal Gazette's sister paper, the Mid-Ocean News, obtained a copy in June and published extracts — but there was no reaction from City Hall and the report remains unpublished.

Mr. Madeiros said the members agreed when Mr. Bluck died that his successor should decide whether to carry on with the commission.

He added that the report was not buried and that he wanted it to be published. "The Corporation, in fact, shouldn't be afraid to have an outside group of major players in the City ask questions of the Corporation and make recommendations," he said.

Mr. Astwood told this newspaper: "The commissioners put so much time and work into it. It's a pity we have done all that work for nothing."

He suggested those wanting a copy contact City Hall and if they are unsuccessful e-mail him at jcacnc@northrock.bm.

Mr. Adwick did not wish to comment.