Puslinch council received a total of $124,328 in remuneration and expenses in 2010 – up over 26% from $98,582 in 2009.
Granted, a portion of that increase is due to the election and the fact that four new councillors were introduced in December.
But expenses for the previous council only – including Brad Whitcombe, Matthew Bulmer, Dick Visser, Don McKay, and returnee Susan Fielding – totalled $114,423 last year, which represents an increase of 16% even though four of the five served just 11 months in 2010.
Overall (using the $114,423 figure above), the annual cost to cover Puslinch councillors’ pay and expenses has risen by 39% since 2007, when the total was just $82,236.
Current Mayor Dennis Lever last week praised staff for providing the more detailed 2010 remuneration and expenses report he had requested.
“They did a great job,” said Lever, who called the in-depth report “a big step to improving transparency.”
As a resident, in 2009 Lever filed a freedom of information request seeking all the expense claims of then-mayor Whitcombe from October 2006 to February 2009 (the request ended up costing the township $552 for legal advice from a Kitchener firm).
Last year Whitcombe’s remuneration and expenses totalled $34,336 (up 26% over 2009) or an average of $3,124 per month, while Lever’s total for his first month in office was $3,540.
Totals for other councillors in 2010 included:
– $29,226 for Fielding, an increase of almost 30% over 2009;
– $17,168 for Visser (down 8%);
– $15,242 for Bulmer (down $39);
– $15,127 for McKay (up 2%);
– $2,750 for Wayne Stokley;
– $2,469 for Ken Roth; and
– $1,146 for Jerry Schmidt.
In addition to regular council meetings, the above figures included pay for councillors’ roles on the township’s adjustment, planning and advisory and recreation committees.
Not included, however, are extra pay and expenses for outside boards such as the Grand River Conservation Authority, Hamilton Conservation Authority, and local source water protection committee.
The township also paid $17,111 to 21 one other individuals on various committees, including one Halton Conservation Authority appointee, four members of the planning and advisory committee, five members of the heritage committee, six members of the recreation committee, two committee of adjustment members, two livestock valuers and one dog control officer.
More details on all the expenses and remuneration are available from the township.
