County council cost Wellington ratepayers $741,100 last year, up over 5% from $702,440 in 2010.
Warden Chris White, as expected, topped the spending, with a combined salary, tax-free municipal allowance, benefits and expenses reaching $104,870.
That includes a regular salary of $54,225, an allowance of $27,110, benefits of $10,500 and expenses of $13,025.
White also received pay of $4,200 as chairman of the Rural Ontario Municipal Association and had expenses there of $4,110 for a total of $8,310.
Councillors are permitted to deduct one-third of their pay as expenses for income tax purposes and that makes up the municipal allowance.
The rest of council received a salary of $19,935 per person and an allowance of $9,965.
The benefits each collected are different, and those, along with their expenses on municipal business such as conference and trips make up the difference in their totals.
The councillors’ costs, in order from highest to lowest (including benefits, and expenses), are:
– Joanne Ross-Zuj, $53,675 total, $6,350 in benefits and $$17,425 in expenses;
– George Bridge, $45,465, $5,530 and $10,040 respectively;
– Don McKay, $45,300, $$5,530, $9,875;
– Gary Williamson, $43,545, $5,245, $8,400;
– Ray Tout, $42,810, $6,350, $6,560;
– Bruce Whale, $42,480, $6,350, $6,230;
– Gord Tosh, $41,710, $46,350, $5,460;
– John Green, $41,627, $5,600, $61,30;
– Lynda White, $40,990, $3,670, $7,420;
– Ken Chapman, $40,885, $5,530, $5,460;
– Jean Innes, $40,875, $6,350, $4,630;
– Shawn Watters, $40,700, $6,350, $4,450;
– Lou Maieron, $40,540, $6,350, $4,290;
– Dennis Lever, $39,100, $5,530, $3,670; and
– Mark MacKenzie, $36,525, $2,300, $4,330.
For comparison purposes, only three county councillors other than the warden had totals over $40,000 for the 2010 salary year (Chris White, Green and former councillor Barb McKay).
In 2011, there were 13.
The county also released the pay and expenses of several of its boards and committees. Most of those were minimal amounts.
The nine-member accessibility committee had a total cost of $2,580.
The four-member library board had a total cost of $3,680.
The police services board had a total cost of $2,260.
