Haldimand "Council Makes Big Bucks"

Well it's almost that time of the year again. We will find out soon how many Staff members of Haldimand County are in the $100,000.00 Club!

At the same time all salaries etc. will be posted for Mayor and Council members. As I haven't been going to council meetings I would think that because of the economy that Council while looking through the budget would cut their salaries. Or rather keep them the same as last year.

Council used to vote on their raises, but that was changed by Lorraine Bergstrand when she was Mayor. I believe it was in 2005 when each Council member started receiving a 2.5% raise each year. This is the same raise that was negotiated for "union workers".

Council can change this with a Vote.

Just a side note, members of Haldimand County Council also get to claim 1/3 of their salaries "Tax Free" for Income Tax purposes!

Haldimand is where the big bucks are
Posted By Monte Sonnenberg,
Simcoe ReformerPosted

Norfolk Mayor Dennis Travale says it doesn't bother him that his counterpart in Haldimand earns more than $10,000 a year in base salary. Travale was responding yesterday to the latest council remuneration report from Haldimand County. The report says Trainer collected a salary of $65,723 last year and $82,000 overall when benefits, mileage, professional development (conferences, seminars, etc.) and wireless communications are factored in.

The most recent numbers from Norfolk County date from 2007. That year, Travale collected $55,600 in salary and $3,500 in expenses for a grand total of $59,300. This despite Travale leading a municipality with 20,000 more people than Haldimand.

As well, Norfolk -- as the "consolidated service manager" for the two counties -- makes decisions regarding health and social services on behalf of both municipalities. "Does it bother me?" Travale said yesterday. "No.

The salary for mayor of Norfolk was set by the previous council. I accept that freely and gladly. Do I intend to bring it forward for review? No."

Aside from the salary differential, Trainer's total take was much higher than Travale's because she claims more in mileage and benefits. Trainer claimed $5,600 in mileage expenses last year and benefits in the amount of $8,050.

As mayor, Travale began to claim mileage once gasoline reached $1 a litre. Now that it has fallen below this, Travale will make claims for long trips. He will also expense shorter trips on a case-by-case basis. Travale and his family rely on the benefits package that accompanies his pension plan as a retired federal civil servant. The only benefits he collects as a county employee involves a mandatory $30,000 life insurance package in his name.

The mayors of Norfolk and Haldimand started out with the same salaries when the new counties came into being in 2001. However, while Lorraine Bergstrand of Dunnville was mayor, Haldimand council increased the mayor's salary by $10,000.

Haldimand council also increased councillors' salaries by $5,000 over the $25,000 base amount established at the outset.

Due to a meeting yesterday with provincial officials regarding flood disaster relief in Dunnville, Cayuga and elsewhere, Mayor Trainer was unavailable for comment.

Other members of Haldimand council and their remuneration in 2008 include: -

Ward One Coun. Leroy Bartlett of Selkirk. He collected $43,447 in 2008. Of this, $32,860 was salary. Bartlett claimed $1,384 in professional development expenses, $1,159 in mileage and $7,356 in benefits.-

Cayuga Coun. Buck Sloat. Sloat collected $47,700 last year, $34,842 of which was salary. Sloat collected $7,550 in benefits, $2,604 in mileage and $1,400 in professional development charges.

Caledonia Coun. Craig Grice. He collected $46,116 last year. Of this, $32,861 was salary while $3,177 was for professional development. Grice claimed $1,825 in wireless communication charges and $7,356 in benefits.

Hagersville Coun. Tony Dalimonte. Dalimonte collected $44,526 last year, $33,100 of which was salary. He collected benefits worth $5,900 and claimed professional development expenses in the amount of $3,200. Dalimonte also claimed $1,630 in mileage.

Dunnville Coun. Don Ricker. He collected $45,656 last year. Of this, $32,861 was wages. Ricker collected $7,356 in benefits last year and claimed $3,408 in mileage. Ricker also claimed $1,344 in professional development charges.

Dunnville Coun. Lorne Boyko. Boyko collected $46,775 last year, $32,861 of which was wages. Boyko also claimed $7,356 in benefits, $4,229 in mileage and $1,664 in professional development charges.

Wages and expenses for individual councillors on Norfolk council in 2007 ranged from $29,512 for Langton Coun. Roger Geysens to $25,020 for Port Dover Coun. John Wells and Simcoe Coun. Heidy Van Dyk.

Norfolk council's wages and expenses in 2007 totalled $272,700.

The corresponding amount in Haldimand last year was $346,000.

msonnenberg@bowesnet.comArticle ID# 1487505 http://www.simcoereformer.ca/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=1487505