HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2012-02-09, Page 20PAGE 20. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 2012.
The cost of running Morris-
Turnberry council last year edged up
slightly from the previous year, but
was still well below budget.
Figures released at the Jan. 24
meeting of council showed the total
for honorariums, meeting costs and
convention expenses was $97,708.
The budget was $117,500. In 2010
expenses were $97,279 but Mayor
Paul Gowing noted that that year
there had been one councillor absent
for almost half a year. In 2009 total
council costs were $111,835.
The report tabled actually showed
council expenses at $102,799 but
councillors objected to the cost of
buying laptop computers for
councillors being included as a
council expense since they were
purchased in order to go to a
paperless agenda and save on the
cost of printing and distributing
paper council packages. Several
felt the computers should be
included under office supplies.
They did agree that the municipality
share of the monthly internet
fees for councillors should be
included as a expense of each
councillor.
Mayor Paul Gowing led the list of
councillors for pay, benefits,
conferences, travel and mileage and
other expenses with a total of
$26,108. The total included an
honorarium of $7,938, $13,198 for
attending 90 meetings other than
council meetings, conference
expenses of $2,774 and travel and
mileage of $1,142.
Deputy-Mayor Jason
Breckenridge received a total of
$14,142, including an honorarium
of $5,103, meeting pay of $6,179 for
attending 22 additional meetings,
and conference expenses of $2,308,
but no travel and mileage.
Councillor Jamie Heffer received
$13,347 in pay, benefits and
expenses. His honorarium was
$3,957 and he attended 20 meetings
for a remuneration of $5,941.
Conference expenses totalled
$2,553 and travel and mileage
totalled $391.
Councillor Jamie McCallum
received a total of $13,067 including
a $3,957 honorarium and $6,089 for
attending 29 meetings. His
conference expenses totalled
$1,959.51 and his travel and mileage
was $576.
Each of the councillors is entitled
to attend one conference but three
councillors, David Baker, John
Smuck and Neil Warwick chose not
to attend any.
Baker’s total expense for the year
was $11,144 including an
honorarium of $3,957, $6,421 for
attending 30 other meetings and
$168 for travel and mileage.
Smuck received his $3,957
honorarium, $5,612 for attending 17
other meetings and $205 for travel
and mileage. His total expenses
were $10,232.
Warwick received $5,170 for
attending nine meetings other than
council meetings as well as his
$3,957 honorarium. His travel and
mileage was just $93 for a total
expense of $9,666.
Continued from page 13
undedicated.
“Nobody found money or lost
money, it’s just a dedication issue,”
said Goderich’s John Grace. “These
are just dedicated funds that need to
be undedicated.”
Van Diepenbeek, however, was
still uncomfortable with the
situation, he said.
“I think it’s ironic that you found
$1.7 million,” he said. “Somebody
should have known about it.”
It was because of this $1.7 million
that MacLellan said he felt he would
be able to present a budget with just
a one per cent increase to council
later this month.
MacLellan also clarified who
actually had the money, which was
not the Health Unit.
“The Health Unit doesn’t have the
money,” he told council, “but they’re
the only ones who have access to
it.”
Shewfelt still wasn’t convinced
that this was the way council should
proceed, with many councillors
being told about the $1.7 million
surplus just at that meeting, and only
because the budget was brought
up.
“I find this very strange,”
Shewfelt said.
Continued from page 12
Ontario be made affordable to every
provincial resident, even if they are
on some form of public assistance.
Preszcator added that figures
show that eight per cent of the
population in Huron County is
designated as “food insecure”
meaning that they will not know
where their next meal is coming
from. She estimates, however, that
for a number of reasons that number
could be considered inaccurate.
Preszcator called the numbers
“significantly underestimated” for
two reasons. First, she said, the
numbers were tabulated at the end of
2006, just before the recession hit
and second, much of the “poverty”
in Huron County goes unreported
and hidden, she said.
Often many residents are “too
proud” to ask for help in times of
financial strain, Preszcator said, and
homelessness often comes in the
form of “couch surfing” at friends’
homes, rather than someone on the
street begging for change.
North Huron Reeve Neil Vincent
commented that his estimation
would be that as much as 20 per cent
of the county’s population could be
classified as food insecure, a number
that was seconded by Goderich’s
Deb Shewfelt.
Central Huron Mayor Jim Ginn
said that while Canada has a great
system in place, there is no doubt
that the system is leaving some
behind.
“In Canada we have the second-
lowest cost of food, but we have one
of the highest standards of life,”
Ginn said. “There are people who
fall through the cracks and we’re not
getting the right kind of funds to
these people.”
Ashfield-Colborne-Wawanosh’s
Neil Rintoul said that pride can be a
big factor in accessing such
funds.
Rintoul said that his municipality
has funds in place to help
underprivileged families pay for
recreation costs, such as hockey, but
that they are seldom requested
because of pride.
Council accepted the report and
approved Preszcator’s
recommendations.
M-T remuneration costscome in under budget
Council wants eating healthy
made affordable for all
Councillors sound
off about ‘found’
Health Unit funds
Slinging some mud
Due to the unseasonably warm weather, the scheduled day
of snow volleyball hosted by the Blyth Lions Club soon
became a mud volleyball tournament. All of the teams,
however, didn’t mind and sported some clothes they didn’t
mind getting dirty and took to the ‘court’. (Vicky Bremner photo)
The details of your wedding will be recorded
in black and white for friends to read and you
to clip for your scrapbook if you tell the story of
your wedding in our 2012 Bridal Parade.
1 photo of the bridal couple plus
300 word write-up (write it up yourself or pick up a
form from The Citizen office and fill it in and
we’ll write it for you).
Just $25 (including HST) - must be paid in advance.
Your story will appear along with those of other bridal
couples from the past year. As well, the story and
photo (plus up to two additional photos from your
wedding) will, be published on our Brides in Huron
website (www.northhuron.on.ca)
for your friends around the world to enjoy.
Deadline: February 17
Issue date: March 1
DON’T LET THE
MEMORIES
OF YOUR
WEDDING FADE
404 Queen St., Blyth
519-523-4792
541 Turnberry St., Brussels
519-887-9114
The Citizen
Email: norhuron@scsinternet.com
By Keith Roulston
The Citizen