Region of Waterloo councillors said Tuesday that they were “shocked” by revelations that Woolwich Township Mayor Todd Cowan had billed expenses to both the township and the region.

“I was quite surprised,” Kitchener Coun. Geoff Lorentz told CTV News.

“An incident like this makes us all look bad.”

Cowan revealed Monday that he had double-billed $2,770.68 worth of mileage and travel expenses.

The discovery came to light following a freedom of information request regarding his expenses, submitted by a amember of the public.

According to a legal opinion prepared for the township, the double-billing involved four conferences between the years of 2012 and 2014, as well as mileage expenses on two occasions.

The report, prepared by law firm Aird and Berlis LLP, found that Cowan was “largely ignorant of his obligations pursuant to … expense policies” and later “admitted his errors and took full responsibility.”

“It is our view that Mayor Cowan may have potentially violated one or more provisions of the Criminal Code,” the report reads.

Regional and township councillors have both referred the matter to Waterloo Regional Police.

Kitchener Coun. Tom Galloway, who chairs the region’s finance and administration committee, said “checks and balances” have since been put into place to prevent a similar incident.

“There will always be a check back and forth before the expenses are approved,” he said.

Cowan has paid back the double-billed expenses.

Peter Woolstencroft, a retired political science professor and veteran observer of the local political scene, said he too was surprised by Cowan’s revelation.

He called the incident “terrible optics” for the mayor even if he is cleared of intentional wrongdoing by police, particularly less than two months from an election.

“I’d hate to be running for re-election with this in front of me,” he said.

“People will ask the question ‘Well, he can control his expenses and how they’re reported – is he really looking after the books for Woolwich council?’”

Woolstencroft said Cowan’s case may appear even worse to the public due to the comparatively small amount at issue – a sum “everyone can relate to”, he said.

Regional officials say they’re not aware of a similar incident at any point since the region’s creation in 1973.