(continued)

Township okays increase
in remuneration
By Liz Dadson

Huron-Kinloss Council

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Huron-Kinloss council has decided to increase its remuneration by $1,500 per year for the mayor, deputy mayor and each of the five councillors.

At the general committee meeting last night (April 4), council also agreed to increase its per diem to $150 from $131.02 per full or half-day.

The hikes in pay were prompted by a comparison of the township's remuneration with surrounding municipalities.

Huron-Kinloss mayor Mitch Twolan is paid a stipend of $9,566.83 plus a per diem of $131.02 for every meeting he attends.

Meanwhile, the other mayors make the following:

  • Brockton, $25,177 including per diems
  • Kincardine, $29,350.27, plus $150 per diem for full day and $80 per diem for a half-day (per diem is for special meetings and conferences only)
  • Arran-Elderslie, $10,832.28, plus per diem of $162.36 for full day and $81.18 for half-day
  • South Bruce Peninsula, $19,617.72
  • Saugeen Shores, $28,005, plus per diem of $175 for full day and $87.50 for half-day (per diem is for conferences and budget meetings)
  • South Bruce, $16,150 (includes all regular and special meetings up to three per month), plus $153 per diem for full day and $82 per diem for half-day
  • North Huron, $9,980 (includes two regular meetings per month, $120 per diem if meeting exceeds four hours), plus $100 per diem for full day and $60 per diem for half-day
  • Ashfield-Colborne-Wawanosh, $9,254.19 (includes social events), plus $116.90 per diem ($136.90 if meeting exceeds 3.5 hours)
  • Northern Bruce Peninsula, $8,960, plus $162 per diem for full day and $95 per diem for half-day
  • Bruce County warden, $25,645.08, plus $150 per diem for full day and $80 for half-day

Meanwhile, the township's deputy mayor and councillors receive the lowest stipend for all the municipalities on the comparison chart, at $4,502.04 and $3,571.73, respectively.

Councillor Jim Hanna suggested having several previous reeves from Huron-Kinloss and the former Huron and Kinloss Townships and Lucknow, sit as an independent, third-party committee to determine the council remuneration.

"Let that committee come back with a recommendation and we can discuss it then," he said.

"They'll say, keep it as is," said councillor Jeff Elliott.

"Fine," said Hanna.

"We could find some middle ground (among the various municipalities)," said councillor Don Murray.

 

"That would put us higher than we want to be," said Hanna.

"We're not looking to be the highest-paid council either," said councillor Carl Sloetjes.

Treasurer Jodi MacArthur noted that it is difficult to compare municipalities' remuneration because some have their per diem rate included in their stipend, while others don't.

"I'd like somebody else to come in and say we're underpaid," said Hanna.

"It's always so much fun to do this every four years," said mayor Mitch Twolan, sarcastically.

He recommended council go with a $150/meeting per diem, for starters. And he suggested adding $1,500 to the stipend for the mayor, deputy mayor and each councillor.

That would put the mayor's stipend at $11,066.83, the deputy mayor at $6,002.04, and the councillors at $5,071.75 each.

Council agreed with the increase to the stipend and the per diem.

In addition, council agreed to increase its meal allowance of $15 per meal, to $70 per day, allowing $10 for breakfast, $20 for lunch, and $40 for dinner, without producing receipts.

A bylaw will come forward at the next council meeting, April 18, for final approval.


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Monday, April 04, 2011