Lakeshore Advance, 2013-03-20, Page 9Past Warden MacLellan tops
100k in salary/expenses
)MacLellan was committed
"full-time" to Warden
position in 2012
Bernie MacLellan earned $68,827 in salary as
1 luron County Warden in 2012 but with reim-
bursed expenses the !Junin Fast Mayor topped the
$100,000 mark.
MacLellan claimed $9,579 In mileage for coun-
cil, C011lillittee'S and other meetings, as well as
$22,719 for conferences and conventions.
MacLellan told the Signal Star he was a full -tinge
Warden last year, taking a year off his job to focus
on his political role.
"1 worked five days -a -week for the county:"
MacLellan said his honorarium for Warden -
$11,500 - jumped because he claimed per diens
rates for working half and full -days on behalf of the
county. •
'she Warden and councillors are paid $259.37 for
a 'full-day' and $148.21 for a 'half-day: A Huron
County by-law states that a half-day is Tess than
2/12 hours for "other committee meetings" but
that rate (foes not include County Council
meetings.
Regardless of their length, the Warden and coun-
cillors are paid for a full day for County council
meetings, MacLellan said.
Asked if that is fair given some meetings are
short in length, he sai(1 the remuneration, in his
mind, takes into account prep time and inevitable
12 -hour days. Sometimes there was nothing on
the Warden's agenda other than an early morning
meeting, but people \voul(i show up at the court-
house and it would be late afternoon before he left,
he said. While Warden, he itemized meetings day-
by-day and that information was made available to
the county and the public, he said. "I stayed after
council meetings last year. 1 didn't just go to one
meeting a day, (sometimes there were) four or five
meetings a day"
"'she majority of my days were full days."
Councillors earn an honorarium of $4,000.
(:ot►n. loin Grace, deputy mayor of Goderich,
earned $33,406 in remuneration. His total with
expenses \vas $36,207. Deb Shewfelt, Mayor of
Goderich, was the lowest at $16,493. Shewfelt,
active with the town and other endeavors, claimed
no expenses for conferences and conventions.
MacLellan said from his discussions with the
public, county council compensation is not an
issue with ratepayers.
"1 don't think council is overpaid for the work
that they do."
Maclellan said more people would run in elec-
tions if the compensation \Vere actually more
lucrative. "I don't think anyone on council is there
for the pay cheque." Most councillors ran for elec-
tion out o'concern for issues in their communities,
he noted. "'That is why they got involved.'
Wednesday, March 20, 2013 • Lakeshore Advance 9
522,719 bill was all county business
Paul Cluff
Goderich Signal Star
The Fairmont Royal York I lotel in
Toronto and Thyme on 21, an upscale
restaurant in Goderich, are among the
expenses billed to taxpayers on the coun-
ty -issued credit card of Bernie MacLel-
lan, i luron County's Warden in 2012.
MacLellan, also Mayor of I Inion East,
was reimbursed $22,719.73 for confer-
ences and conventions last year, accord-
ing to information released by the
county. Accommodations and meals
accounted for more than $8,0(10 of that.
Maclellan, now Past Warden, said he
took a year off work to become the coun-
ty's full -tinge Warden in 2012.
• Ile earned a salary of 868,827 for his
services.
Ate Warden has unlimited conference
expenses according to a county by-law,
while council members can claim up to
$3,000 for registrations, per diems, mile-
age, Ideal allowance and accommoda-
tion for conferences.
QM1 Agency accessed MacLellan's
credit lard information through a Free-
dom of Information Act request.
Maclellan wracked up nearly $4,000
on his county credit card - which
includes a $25 annual fee - i11 the space
of two weeks, beginning Jan. 24, 2012.
It was all county business, he said in an
interview with the Signal Star.
MacLellan was in 'Toronto last winter
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for the Ontario Lill ay Association Super
Conference and the Rural Ontario
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Charges from the Fairmont Royal York
I lotel (where ROMA was hosted) on two
dates last winter totaled $1,839. Another
charge of $635.52 at the Canyon Creek
Restaurant on Front Street was around
the time of the library conference, he
said, and paid for meals for the Warden
and public attendees at the conference
that were taken out for tanner, including
library board members.
MacLellan attended a slumber of other
conferences last year in places like Sas-
katoon and I tunstville. A restaurant hill
at 'Three Guys and a Stove in I luntsvilie
totaling 8257 was for the warden, two
councillors and spouses, he explained.
MacLellan made four purchases with
tht' county credit card at 1'hytne on 21,
totaling $692. 'Those bills were made as
part of what MacLellan called "Cuff
Report meetings" George Cuff, a consult-
ant, was paid to review the county's
organizational structure and made a
number of recommendations in a
54 -page summary report. Cuff noted 50
ways of improving operations in the
('Otlilty, including cutting 111(' size of
County Council from 16 to nine.
Total remuneration in 2012 for the
Warden and councillors (salary and per
diems), including conferences, conven-
tions and mileage totaled $454,941.
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