Mayor Simon Yu says he’s asked his staff to provide more frequent reports on spending so he can know in advance if he risks going over budget. According to the City of Prince George, Yu spent nearly twice what was budgeted for travel, accommodation, meals and entertainment.

Less than a year into his first term in office, the mayor of Prince George, B.C., has significantly overspent his proposed budget for meals, entertainment, travel and accommodation, documents show.

According to financial reporting obtained through a freedom of Information request filed by CBC News, from Nov. 7, 2022 to Sept. 28, 2023, Mayor Simon Yu spent more than $18,000 on travel, accommodation, meals and entertainment, nearly double the $9,500 the city had budgeted for those expenses.