Opinions here are mixed about if councillors should get extra money travelling in town on municipal business.
The issue arose at the March 27 working meeting as Mayor Lou Maieron said the mayor and councillors in Wellington North are paid $800 each year for travel expenses in the municipality.
“I don’t want to sound greedy,” he said.
Clerk Kathryn Ironmonger said in discussions with town manager Lisa Hass and director of finance Sharon Marshall, the town’s current policy is somewhat different than what they believed in terms of enforcement. Mileage is paid to councillors for instances other than regular council meetings.
Ironmonger said councillors typically receive mileage for meetings outside the municipality. However, if they are conducting municipal business using a personal vehicle, they can submit a form for reimbursement for costs in the municipality.
Councillor Barb Tocher said that has not been her understanding.
That was Maieron’s understanding as well.
Neither councillors nor staff are paid to attend the regular council sessions, which Maieron compared to being paid mileage to go to work.
“However the mayor does a lot of other travelling around town with various meetings, meeting with residents and business people. It’s adding up.”
To date, he said he has not submitted claims for that mileage, but reiterated there is a cost – especially in the face of rising gas prices.
While he does not mind attending meetings, “I don’t think I should be paying out of my pocket to do it.”
He cited Wellington North’s flat rate to address travel in the municipality. He offered that for consideration during a council meeting. He added the costs could skyrocket as time moves on and the municipality grows. That travel allowance would also not apply to committee meetings.
Councillor John Brennan asked how one would differentiate between council and other business.
Councillor Josie Wintersinger said she has never claimed mileage for meetings in Orangeville she attended.
Tocher said it is her understanding the one-third tax exemption on council salaries – is to cover expenses – “such as running to a ribbon cutting, store opening, or tree planting.
“We all run to various things within the municipality and the assumption is that is part of the job, and that is why the one third exemption is there on the per diem or salary.”
Councillor John Brennan stated, “Frankly I think we get enough.”
Brennan agreed with Tocher and noted the one third exemption amounts to roughly $4,000; and for the mayor roughly $7,000 tax free.
“That certainly should take care of expenses within the municipality,” he said.
Brennan said if council wants to make a change from what has been done in the past, “I think that change should come into effect at the end of the term, not in the middle of it. We all took the job under certain circumstances at the time of the election.”
Brennan suggested the same should hold true for any potential salary changes.
“The changes should be at the end of the term. If the residents do not agree, they do not re-elect you.”
Maieron said the situation is different between council and the mayor’s role. He stressed he was not claiming to be special, but there is a lot more driving around involved for the mayor. However, the discussion made the policy clear that council can claim for mileage outside of regularly scheduled council and committee meetings.
Tocher disagreed with the interpretation.
Marshall said the current policy states that, like staff, council is entitled mileage for all meetings other than regular council or committee meetings.
Brennan said if he was invited to the Station Road nursery Bunny Brunch, “I should be charging mileage for that?”
Marshall said, “Mileage is always up to the honesty of the individual in every case.”
Brennan said regardless of what the policy states, it has not been the practice to claim mileage inside the municipality.
“I would be very loathe to put it into practice for this term.”
Maieron said “If you don’t want to do it, don’t do it.”
He said, “The mayor doesn’t want special treatment, but he is putting in a lot of mileage.”
