Mayor Mel Lastman tried to have him terminated.
His successor, David Miller, wanted to control his every move.
The left on council often made him the object of their scorn for daring to dig up the fiscal dirt.
Sometimes the right-wing took petty potshots at him, too.
But for 12 years, Auditor-General Jeff Griffiths kept his eye on the ball, refusing to kowtow to the demands of various mayors — or to the political whims of a highly divisive cast of characters on Toronto council.
Griffiths, who was named city auditor at amalgamation — Jan. 1, 1998 — became the first auditor-general for Toronto in 2002.
In just a few months, the avid golfer and son of a Welsh coal miner will swing into retirement, leaving his successor, Beverly Romeo-Beehler, very tough shoes to fill. He plans to take a long vacation, he says, and who knows what after that. Maybe a book is in the offing. After all, he does know where the bodies are buried at City Hall.
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