By Cecilia Nasmith
The Town of Cobourg paid $269,091.41 in remunerations and $13,238.45 in expenses in 2022 for councillors and members of advisory boards, council heard at Monday's committee-of-the-whole meeting, for a total of $282.329.86.
Most of that is accounted for by council, both the former council and the current complement that took office following the October municipal election:
Randy Barber - $2,895.94 plus $205.72 in expenses
Nicole Beatty - $25,835.13 plus $2,087.35 in expenses
Aaron Burchat - $25,264.12 plus $227.37 in expenses
Adam Bureau - $25,264.12 plus $227.37 in expenses
Emily Chorley - $22,344.12 plus $1,848.53 in expenses
Lucas Cleveland - $5,176.70 plus $1,890.11 in expenses
Brian Darling - $25,154.17 plus $227.37 in expenses
John Henderson - $39,722.26 plus $1,846.14 in expenses
Miriam Mutton - $2,895.84 plus $205.72 in expenses
Suzanne Seguin - $26,627.39 plus $510.10 in expenses
In the former council term, Burchat and Henderson also represented the town on the Police Service Board, collecting $6,327.70 each in remuneration and claiming no expenses. Other Police Service Board members were compensated by the town as well:
S. Graham - $7,153.04 plus $868.32 in expenses
R. Kerr - $7,153.04 plus $2,374.32 in expenses
Dean Pepper - $8,940 plus $656.16 in expenses
Prior to his election to council, Barber served on the Committee of Adjustment, collecting $750. Other Committee of Adjustment members collecting $750 were P. Delanty, A. Hudson and A. Smelko, with B. Marr collecting $850.
Barber, along with Mutton, represents the town on the Ganaraska Region Conservation Authority, each having collected $150 (with Mutton also collecting $30.32 in expenses. Last term's representatives were Beatty ($410) and Darling ($335).
Former Mayor Henderson represented the town on the Haliburton Kawartha Pine Ridge District Health Unit, collecting $29.28 in expenses and no remuneration.
The mayor is also the typical representative for the town on two other bodies.
From the Town of Cobourg Holdings Inc., Henderson collected $3,208.33 and Cleveland collected $281.67.
As the town's member of Northumberland County council, Henderson collected $23,513.13 in remuneration and $4.27 in expenses and Cleveland has collected $101.95.
Treasurer Ian Davey said such a report, on an annual basis, is a requirement of the Municipal Act.
“A quick question,” Councillor Barber noted.
“The expenses beside my name – I would like that explained to me what they are. I haven't signed for any that I am aware of.”
Councillors Darling and Mutton said they'd had the same question and had already pursued it with staff.
“Apparently, when we have a break and have a meal brought in, if we have a long day or training, the meals are apportioned to all of us,” Darling explained.
Mutton said she felt uneasy having an expense arbitrarily assigned to her, instead of incurred by her, submitted and signed for. She asked if the methodology of reporting expenses could be revised accordingly.
“We can certainly look at alternative ways to do it, but I think it would be crossing a line to have members of council dictating to staff how staff should prepare the report when it's a public report on remuneration of expenses to council,” Davey replied.
“It's not really a council responsibility to dictate how the report is prepared.”
“It was not my intention to dictate – I think we have a duty to submit our expenses, but it's disconcerting and uncomfortable the way it has been done, without notice,” Mutton retorted.
“If there's an expense that is attributed to my name, I want to have had some involvement in submitting that expense knowingly. It did take me off-guard.”
