By RASHAD ROLLE

Tribune News Editor

rrolle@tribunemedia.net

MCKELL Bonaby, the Beaches and Parks Authority chairman under scrutiny over high spending and the absence of any public audit, insisted in a new statement that “every dollar of taxpayer money spent by the authority is accounted for,” even as no detailed breakdown or audit report has ever been released.

In the statement issued as the Progressive Liberal Party’s candidate for Mount Moriah, Mr Bonaby framed the authority’s spending as support for Bahamian workers, saying more than 1,200 contractors benefit from its work each day and each month. He said the spending translates into jobs, opportunities and support for communities across the islands.

He also pointed to the authority’s expanded responsibilities, saying it now manages more than 250 parks nationwide and has increased staffing, equipment and operational capacity, including a modern fleet management system.

Mr Bonaby maintained that financial controls are in place, saying payments are tied to valid contracts, business licences and tax compliance certificates, with supporting documentation and photographic evidence used to confirm work was completed.

However, the statement offers no figures, project-level details or documentation to substantiate those claims, and no audit has been made public despite earlier assurances that the Authority’s finances would be fully accounted for.

Mr Bonaby said that audited financial statements had been completed “for the first time in the authority’s history,” including statements going back to 2014, describing the effort as a major step toward accountability.

The latest defence comes after questions about the Authority’s spending, which has repeatedly exceeded budgeted allocations in recent years, even when the condition of several public parks drew criticism.

Mr Bonaby’s statement also sought to draw a contrast with the previous administration, alleging that under the Free National Movement, there were instances of payments without proper contracts, incomplete work and vendors operating without licences or tax compliance. Shanendon Cartwright, the FNM’s candidate for St James and former head of the authority, declined to respond to Mr Bonaby’s claims yesterday.