Municipal council costs nearing the $140,000 mark for 2009

Minto’s municipal council costs are well into the six digits from a look at the costs from December 2008 to November 2009.

In that time, the total cost incurred by municipal councillors is up $20,000, now reaching $138,745. During the year prior, total cost incurred by council was $118,560.

Just under half of those costs were incurred by Mayor David Anderson ($27,845) and deputy-mayor Judy Dirksen ($27,835). Of the council ex­penses, only David Turton’s year end bill went down from one year to the next, roughly $1,000

Below are the expenses incurred by each member of council.

Mayor David Anderson

- $27,845 ($24,169 for 2008/2009); $11,440 (base pay), $13,400 (per diem meetings), $2,640 (conventions, seminars, and expenses), $364 (mileage).

Deputy-mayor Judy Dirk­sen

- $27,835 9$21,686 for 2008-2009); $9,440 (base pay), $14,545 (per diem meetings), $2,752 (conventions, seminars and expenses), $1,098 (mile­age).

Councillor Barb Burrows

- $17,078 ($14,957 for 2008-2009); $8,440 (base pay), $7,415 (meetings), $1,223 (conventions, seminars and expenses), $0 (mileage).

Councillor Rick Hembly

- $19,508 ($15,448 for 2008/2009); $8,440 (base pay), $7,285  (meetings), $2,819 (conventions, seminars and ex­penses), $963 (mileage).

Councillor Wayne Martin

- $16,171 ($13,846 for 2008/2009); $8,440 (base pay), $7,670  (meetings), $61 (conventions, seminars and expenses), $0 (mileage).

Councillor Dave Turton

- $14,173  ($15,108 for 2008/2009); $8,440 (base pay), $3,255  (per diem meetings), $1,914 (conventions, seminars and expenses), $563 (mileage).

Councillor Tammy Reiner

- $16,132 ($8,314 for 2008/2009); $8,440 (base pay), $6,340  (per diem meetings), $1,352 (conventions, seminars and expenses), $0 (mileage).

For Reiner, the difference between expenses last year and the previous year is that she only served part of that year, having replaced councillor Larry Agla who pass­ed away during his term of office.

In comments following the presentation of the report, Anderson said the high per diem payments were a result of numerous special meetings deal­ing with grant applications.