Expenses and per diem remuneration claimed by council members here are within budget and generally for meetings, conferences or training, according to a report from Minto CAO Bill White.
White delivered a report on council expense and per diem claims at the April 2 meeting. The report was provided in response to a request from council members for clarification on how expenses are determined and claimed.
“Overall council expenses have been within budgeted amounts for the last two years. Council per diem claims were almost always for committee meetings, conferences or training attended, while there were very few claims for impromptu meetings with ratepayers or staff,” White reported.
At the March 19 meeting, councillor Dave Turton noted there is “quite a discrepancy,” between the amount of claims filed by the lowest and highest-paid members of council. White said that can largely be attributed to meeting attendance and the number of committees council members sit on.
“Councillors with more committee appointments, and that were able to make it to most of the meetings, tend to claim higher expenses … Representation on provincial boards such as OSUM can also add per diem expense to one councillor over another,” the report explains. In addition, the town held nine additional public liaison meetings in 2012. A councillor attending all those meetings would incur higher expenses than those unable attend, the report points out.
Another factor in the discrepancy is that councilors don’t always submit claims at regular intervals.
“A councillor submitting a claim for six months in December would have those expenses reported in the following year,” White stated.
Although not formalized as policy, since mid-2012 the CAO began signing off on councillor expense claims and at the start of 2013 the mayor also began reviewing and signing off on the claims. The mayor’s expenses are signed by the treasurer and CAO.
“If you wished, you could have the deputy mayor sign off for the mayor,” White suggested.
White’s report indicates the town’s existing bylaw allows for claims for “council business,” but does not clarify what that means. A list of “general policy considerations,” provided to council as guidelines included:
– council expenses will be reported annually as required by legislation broken down into the categories of earnings (base salary and per diems) and expense reimbursements; and
– councillors are to submit expense claims no less than once every two months. To
facilitate expense claims.
The report notes bylaw wording regarding “council business” for the purposes of claiming per diems is subject to interpretation by individual members. White suggests the following should be considered when claiming per diems:
– meetings attended pursuant to responsibilities under the town’s appointment bylaw are to be claimed;
– claims are permitted for meetings authorized by the mayor for business where minutes or meeting notes are taken, including but not limited to strategic plan, public open houses, ad hoc committees appointed regarding a particular issue of town interest, and service club or non-profit group meetings;
– conference, training and educational sessions within the limits provided for in the applicable council remuneration by-law, approved by resolution of council or approved by the mayor (or deputy mayor when acting as mayor) shall be claimed;
– claims are permitted for meetings attended by committee chairs related to the specific responsibilities of the council member regarding important policy or procedural matters; and
– meetings or official openings where the member is asked by the mayor to speak or give greetings on behalf of the town may be claimed.
The report indicates “Impromptu, spontaneous, unplanned meetings with ratepayers, service clubs, staff shall not be eligible for claim and, similarly, openings, holiday socials, educational meetings relating to matters outside the town’s normal jurisdiction shall not be claimed unless specifically approved by the mayor.”
Council received the report, which includes the recommendation that “council operate within the general policy considerations outlined.” The CAO was authorized to bring a back a report outlining revisions to the council remuneration by-law and a supporting policy to a meeting by January 2014 for implementation during the next term of council.
“Then the next group comes in with their eyes wide open as to what their compensation would be,” said White.
