Haldimand "Should Council Members be Paid to sit on the Police Services Board?
I have received a few phone calls in the last week from some residents that read my blog regularly. Their concern was in regards to Council Members asking to be paid for sitting on the Police Services Board. The individuals that sit on the Police Services Board are paid from "our" taxes dollars. There are a few people that do not agree with Council including themselves in the pay schedule.
I will leave this one up to you to comment on. The following is an article written last week by Karen Best, and the information that follows is from the Haldimand County Website. I was a bit short on time so I will be updating this in the next couple of days.
First pay cheques coming for council members on police services board
Posted By KAREN BEST
Haldimand County council members who sit on the municipality's police services board are might receive pay cheques starting this year.
In a unanimous decision at a November meeting, board members decided Coun. Lorne Boyko and Mayor Marie Trainer should be treated the same as any other sitting member.
They will receive $4,000 each and, if acting as chair, an additional $1,200. As of March 17, Boyko was board chair and Trainer was vice-chair.
This year will be the first for payment to council members if the police services board budget is approved by county council.
"I think it's appropriate now. We are the only community with a board where citizens are treated differently than elected officials," Boyko pointed out.
In his view, payment on the police services board is the same as payment he receives for sitting on the Grand River Conservation Authority board.
Trainer echoed his logic. "The rest of the committee is receiving it and don't put in any more time than we do," she pointed out.
"(Payment for council members) was not part of the budget until it came to the table," said board administrator Grant Bivol, who is also the county's deputy clerk.
Board member Stewart Patterson moved the salary motion that was seconded by Bill Keenan. Both Trainer and Boyko voted in favour of it. Provincial appointee Tom Patterson was absent due to illness.
Boyko said the board cannot act on the new initiative until Haldimand County council approves the board's 2008 operating budget of $34,600. It includes $8,270 for council member remuneration and benefits.
According to county corporate services general manager Karen General, the Ontario municipal act gives council authority to set remuneration for members on any local board of council. The police services board is autonomous in spending operating money in a budget approved by council, she explained.
However, under the provincial Police Services Act, council is required to pay at least the regulated remuneration to provincially appointed members on the board. As such the board has no authority to set remuneration for any members sitting on the board, explained General.
The proposed remuneration for council members will come forward as a new initiative that council can approve or deny in the county's operating budget, she continued.
Norfolk County council members serving on the police services board have been paid for several years.
http://www.dunnvillechronicle.com/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=949638&auth=KAREN+BEST
http://www.haldimandcounty.on.ca/Documents/main/policies/05-02%20Expectations%20of%20Council%20Appointees%20to%20Corporate%20Bodies.pdf
The following are the boards that Council Members sit on;
Deputy Mayor One (01) year term from 2006 12 01 to 2008 11 30.
Councillor Buck Sloat
Committees and Boards
Council representation on the following Business Divisions of Council in Committee are for one (01) year from 2006 12 01 to 2008 11 30.
Community and Leisure Services:
Craig Grice, Chair
Don Ricker, Vice-Chair
Corporate Services:
Lorne Boyko, Chair
Tony Dalimonte, Vice- Chair
Joint Services:
Leroy Bartlett, Chair
Craig Grice, Vice-Chair
Physical Services:
Don Ricker, Chair
Leroy Bartlett, Vice-Chair
Planning and Economic Development:
Tony Dalimonte, Chair
Lorne Boyko, Vice-Chair
Council representation on the following local Boards and Committees are four (04) years from 2006 12 01 to 2010 11 30.
Caledonia Business Improvement Area Board of Management
Craig Grice
Court of Revision
Craig Grice
Lorne Boyko
Leroy Bartlett
Buck Sloat (Alternate)
Dunnville Business Improvement Area Board of Management
Lorne Boyko
Grand River Conservation Authority (compensated by Grand River Conservation Authority)
Craig Grice
Lorne Boyko
Niagara, Hamilton, Haldimand, Brant Local Health Integration Network (LHIN)
Buck Sloat
Hagersville Business Improvement Area Board of Management
Tony Dalimonte
Haldimand County Library Board
Don Ricker
Haldimand County Police Services Board
Marie Trainer
Lorne Boyko
Haldimand County Utilities (compensated by Haldimand County Hydro)
Marie Trainer
Buck Sloat
Mosaic Esterhazy Ltd. Committee
Lorne Boyko
Hamilton Airport Noise Management Advisory Committee
Marie Trainer
Long Point Conservation Authority (compensated by Long Point Conservation Authority)
Buck Sloat
Leroy Bartlett
Property Standards Committee
Buck Sloat
Don Ricker
Leroy Bartlett
Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority (compensated by Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority)
Tony Dalimonte
Southern Grand River Advisory Board
Buck Sloat
Tom Howe Citizen Liaison Committee
Leroy Bartlett
Council representation on the following Joint Committee is for four (04) years from 2006 12 01 to 2010 11 30.
Health and Social Services Advisory Committee
Tony Dalimonte
Craig Grice
Don Ricker
The Health and Social Services Advisory Committee meets on the third Thursday of each month. Meetings begin at 7:00pm. and the meeting locations alternate between the Health and Social Services Department in Simcoe and the Haldimand County Administration Building in Cayuga.
Council Members should not receive any money for sitting on this board. It is part of their positions when they were elected and they are were all aware of this.
ReplyDeleteWho will they be loyal to if they are paid for their duties as a Council Member on this board?
My opinion is that this is a conflict.
We never here anything from these members of the Police Services Board.
At David Crombies last public meeting there were serious questions asked about policing, and our Council Members that are on the board were there and never answered a single question to the public.
So my advice to Council, do not vote for this to be in our budget, people are pretty pissed about this.
And thanks Donna for bringing this forward.
As far as I am concerned the answer is NO!
ReplyDeleteCouncil already makes enough money!
Their yearly salary is already good enough. They already get a break as council gets 1/3 of their salary Tax Free. Do you know that?
POLICE SERVICES BOARD
ReplyDeleteI understand P.S.B. will be approaching council to have the Mayor and Councilor Boyko paid an additional $4,000.00 a year to attend their meeting. To date, they have not received pay as a payment is received by them, from the County coffers, as a result of their position with the County. To me this is piggy-backing wages; wages are paid by the County which includes duty to attend various meeting, not that each meeting attended as a County representative is to be separately waged out.
It is my understanding that there are 12 meeting a year and if each meeting was to last 3 hours the wage would be $111.00 an hours. If the meeting lasted 2 hours the wage would be $167.00 hour, do you not find this excessive when they are already receiving paid to do their job? I also have been told that some of the meetings in 2007 were cancelled. What is the hourly rate then?
There is no growth in Haldimand and it would appear that there will be none for a number of years. This is not the time to add costs to the municipality but a time to start cutting costs. With the lack of growth it should be apparent that we should practice fiscal restraint. Council should remember they were voted in to work for and serve their constituents, not line their own pockets.
Why not do this. When your constituents believe you have worked hard enough to warrant additional compensation we will let you know.
This is just plain gorging at the trough! Trim the fat!
ReplyDeleteThanks for the comments.
ReplyDeleteI did know that council received 1/3 tax free on their salary. But I must agree that council members should "not" be compensated for sitting on this board.
This Council gets paid enough! This is part of their job description, or rather their duty.
ReplyDeleteWhen are people going to start really complaining about what this Council is doing. They won't stop until we demand that they be responsible politicians.
I am running out of patience with these children.