And just how much is a Deputy Mayor going to cost - there is Council Member Expense Manual that sets out the rules

By Pepper Parr

October 3^rd, 2023

BURLINGTON, ON

Remember when Mayor Meed Ward announced she was making every member of Council a Deputy Mayor?

What was the impact going to be?  It wasn’t all that clear at the time but we now know that it is going to require a change in the manual that sets out what can be expensed and how the expensing is to take place when a Council member is serving as a Deputy Mayor.

Historically Med Ward councils have been spending Councils.

A Standing Committee will hear a Staff recommendation to approve the proposed amendment to the Council Member Expense Manual as referenced in finance department report.

Council in session – Rory Nisan was not present

Meed Ward put her plan for Deputy Mayors on the table in March of 2022.  On December 13, 2022 Councillors were made Deputy Mayors for the 2022-2026 term of office.  This appointment recognized a new model of governance for this Council.

As a result of the addition of the Deputy Mayor with Portfolio role the current Council Expense Manual previously approved was noted to require an update. The current manual does not take into consideration expenses that could be incurred in relation to the Deputy Mayor with Portfolio role.

A recommendation to update the manual was approved by Council on July 11, 2023

The excerpt below identifies the section of the manual required to be updated along with the proposed amendment to incorporate this new model of governance.

The current Annual Budget Supports the Mayor and Councillors to:

• 

  Is Councillor Kearns in this photo Op with the Chief of Police there as a Councillor or a Deputy Mayor? Maybe both

  Administer their offices in City

• Represent the City at functions and Supports Councillors to:
• Communicate with their constituents about the meetings and activities of City council and its committees.

• Communicate with their constituents about the businesses and services of the City and its agencies.
• Enhance and promote an engaged community

Supports the Mayor to:

• Communicate with constituents about city-wide initiatives and activities of City Council related to city-wide initiatives.
• Communicate with constituents about the meetings and activities of committees that the Mayor is appointed to as council’s representative.
• Enhance and promote an engaged Burlington.

Councillors and the Mayor are personally responsible for expenditures that do not fall within these criteria. The Controller & Manager, Financial Services is available to help Councillors, their staff and the Mayor’s office staff to understand these criteria and to help them plan their budgets and expenditures.

No additional budget was approved as a result of the creation of the Deputy Mayor with Portfolio role.

Was the decorating of the Mayor’s office a public expense or a private expense – both perhaps?

Recommendations approved by Council has the discretionary budgets have been increased by CPI (Consumer Price Index) for 2024. Expenses incurred by Councillors in conjunction with their new role will be absorbed as part of their discretionary budget approved annually through the budgeting process and reported out to the community as part of the annual report on council remuneration and expenses.

And you thought there would be no additional cost with Council members also serving as Deputy Mayors?  Then you don’t understand the way municipal politicians operate.

This item will be discussed at Standing Committee on Wednesday and go to Council for a decision on October 17, 2023.

What are the chances that this will get stuffed into the Consent Agenda – where an item doesn’t get discussed unless a Council member asks that it be discussed.