New Westminster taxpayers paid nearly half a million dollars on city council in 2016.
A report to council indicates that Mayor Jonathan Cote was paid $106,456 in 2016, while the city’s six councillors all had remuneration of $45,353 or $45,397. All totalled, council members received remuneration of $373,750 in 2016 and $76,083 for expenses.
On top of their remuneration, council members also claim expenses for attending conferences, seminars/training, city-sponsored community events and other community events.
Coun. Lorrie Williams outspent her fellow councillors on expenses in 2016, claiming $19,781. Of that, $9,061 was for Union of B.C. Municipalities, Federation of Canadian Municipalities and Lower Mainland Local Government Association conferences. Williams has served on the FCM’s board of directors.
Coun. Bill Harper claimed $16,892 in expenses in 2016, with the bulk of his expenses ($12,378) going toward conference/seminars/training. Not far behind was Coun. Jaimie McEvoy, who claimed expenses of $15,930, including $6,665 for UBMCM/FCM/LMLGA conferences and $9,067 for other conferences and training.
Gary Holowatiuk, the city’s director of finance and information technology, said most of Williams’ expenses relate to FCM board meetings in Ottawa and LMLGA conferences. Harper, chair of the city’s Livable City advisory committee, had expenses for the Intelligent Community Forum Summit and the International Biotechnology conference.
Holowatiuk said McEvoy’s expenses primarily relate to the Sustainable Communities conference and the Broadbent Institute Summit.
The mayor claimed expenses of $10,607, with the majority ($7,394) of Cote’s expenses coming for conferences/seminars and training. Trailing behind were Coun. Chuck Puchmayr ($6,866); Coun. Patrick Johnstone ($3,541); and Coun. Mary Trentadue ($2,466).
Each year, a schedule of council remuneration and expenses in included in the city’s statement of financial information (SOFI) report.
In 2014, the cost of council remuneration was $331,309, with the mayor getting $89,999 and councillors getting between $36,279 and $42,454 (numbers varied as some newly elected councillors were only paid for 11 months and councillors had different benefits coverage.) Council members also claimed $51,986 in expenses in 2014.
