Sometimes you read this stuff and all you can do is shake your head. Or walk over to the office wall and start banging it.

BC Transit has apparently spent $3.1 million on various studies for a light rail line between Victoria and Langford, says The Times-Colonist. And it seems like they did it without approval of the Victoria Regional Transit Commission, which provides direction on priorities.

It took a freedom of information request by the Capital Regional District Business and Residential Taxpayers' Association to get these details (well done, by the way!).

Saanich Mayor Frank Leonard isn’t happy:

Leonard balked earlier this year when B.C. Transit officials argued increased road congestion and a slump in ridership were behind the $28-per-household tax hike for transit.

Leonard argued the real reason was debt costs being foisted on local property owners by the province to pay for 100 new buses it bought for the 2010 Vancouver Olympics. Leonard has also been questioning transit property acquisitions near the new McTavish interchange and in Royal Oak Industrial Park.

"They are not being forthright with the people representing the taxpayers and the users, which is the commission," Leonard said.

"I don't think they were being forthright about what buses were in the fleet earlier this year. They're not being forthright about what . . . is being spent at McTavish or what has been spent at Royal Oak. So I'm very frustrated."

Mayor Leonard isn’t alone in his frustration with BC Transit. More than 40 civic politicians from around BC told Transportation Minister Blair Lekstrom that an independent review of BC Transit’s activities is needed:

“We’ve had some problems with the management of B.C. Transit,” said Joe Stanhope, who organized the meeting and is chairman of the Regional District of Nanaimo. “There’s lots of situations where communications are not where they should be for a world-class system like we have.”

Stanhope said he’s had B.C. Transit hike its management fees by 100 per cent after his region already approved its budget. “Something is wrong,” said Stanhope.

B.C. Transit is a Crown corporation that contracts bus services to dozens of communities and regional transit systems, from Port Alberni to Cranbrook.

But many of those same communities are concerned about the transit agency’s service, costs and poor communication with the local governments that pay almost half the bill.

Lekstrom said the municipal politicians were “very effective in bringing their issues forward” and “very articulate in their presentation.”

“I committed to get back to them as quickly as I can, and it won’t be long,” he said.

We will be watching very closely to see where this goes. Any time a government agency is spending big money without the approval of elected officials is a grave concern. It spits in the face of transparency and accountability—the legs on which democracy and good government stands.