Municipal Council Member Expenses
On the weekend of June 1, 2014, View Royal Councillor David Screech posted a photo of himself with Saanich Councillors Vickie Sanders and Judy Brownoff at Niagara Falls, where the annual Canadian Federation of Municipalities convention was taking place. This event was held immediately after the Canadian Association of Municipal Administrators (CAMA) convention, also in Niagara Falls.
How many local politicians attend these conferences compared with the number from larger cities? With 13 municipalities, do more representatives collectively attend than, e.g. the City of Vancouver?
The summary below was compiled from the Statements of Financial Information. Capital Region municipalities aggregate expenses claimed by each council member. On the other hand, the City of Vancouver provides detailed cost breakdown, reporting travel and conferences, transportation and local expenses, as separate line items. Vancouver's greater transparancy provides more information than the 13 Capital Region municipalities.
Acquiring similar detailed travel information from local municipalities for comparison with Vancouver would require filing a formal request under the BC Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act. However, a comparison of macro expense claims does provide some useful information.
The City of Vancouver Council (11 members) oversees a $1.2 billion budget, serving a population of 603,502. Collectively, members claimed $124,999 in expenses (including transportation allowances, local expenses and travel, and conferences). That's about $0.20 per capita.
The Vancouver city budget is more than twice the size of the combined budgets of the 13 Capital Region municipalities and the population is about double. Yet Vancouver councillors (who get transportation allowances) claimed $60,000 less than Capital Region municipalities in 2012.
Capital Region municipalities (91 members) oversee collective budgets of $498 million, serving a population of about 350,000. Collectively members claimed $186,714 in expenses (not categorized). That's more than $0.50 per capita.
Although councillor expenses are relatively small in comparison to overall civic budgets, they are important indicators of how multiple-municipality spending proliferates. Thirteen municipalities with 91 council members generate more council-related expenses than one city with 11 councillors.
A future AY project will compare muliti-municipality senior management expense claims with senior management at the City of Vancouver.
On the weekend of June 1, 2014, View Royal Councillor David Screech posted a photo of himself with Saanich Councillors Vickie Sanders and Judy Brownoff at Niagara Falls, where the annual Canadian Federation of Municipalities convention was taking place. This event was held immediately after the Canadian Association of Municipal Administrators (CAMA) convention, also in Niagara Falls.
How many local politicians attend these conferences compared with the number from larger cities? With 13 municipalities, do more representatives collectively attend than, e.g. the City of Vancouver?
The summary below was compiled from the Statements of Financial Information. Capital Region municipalities aggregate expenses claimed by each council member. On the other hand, the City of Vancouver provides detailed cost breakdown, reporting travel and conferences, transportation and local expenses, as separate line items. Vancouver's greater transparancy provides more information than the 13 Capital Region municipalities.
Acquiring similar detailed travel information from local municipalities for comparison with Vancouver would require filing a formal request under the BC Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act. However, a comparison of macro expense claims does provide some useful information.
The City of Vancouver Council (11 members) oversees a $1.2 billion budget, serving a population of 603,502. Collectively, members claimed $124,999 in expenses (including transportation allowances, local expenses and travel, and conferences). That's about $0.20 per capita.
The Vancouver city budget is more than twice the size of the combined budgets of the 13 Capital Region municipalities and the population is about double. Yet Vancouver councillors (who get transportation allowances) claimed $60,000 less than Capital Region municipalities in 2012.
Capital Region municipalities (91 members) oversee collective budgets of $498 million, serving a population of about 350,000. Collectively members claimed $186,714 in expenses (not categorized). That's more than $0.50 per capita.
Although councillor expenses are relatively small in comparison to overall civic budgets, they are important indicators of how multiple-municipality spending proliferates. Thirteen municipalities with 91 council members generate more council-related expenses than one city with 11 councillors.
A future AY project will compare muliti-municipality senior management expense claims with senior management at the City of Vancouver.