In 2022 there were many shake-ups for Collingwood council between councillor resignations, appointments, a provincial election in June and a municipal election in October, which impacted how much each councillor took home as compensation last year.
This week, the town released their 2022 statement of remuneration which outlines what each member of council was paid as a base rate, how much special meeting pay they took home, and how much in expenses they claimed.
The statement is a requirement for the town to release annually under the Municipal Act.
The highest council earner in 2022 was former Mayor Keith Hull, who stepped into the role from the deputy mayor seat officially in July. He earned $37,710 as his base pay plus $700 in special meeting pay in 2022. He claimed $5 in professional development/discretionary spending.
Members of council are entitled to claim professional development and discretionary expenses. Annually, the mayor can claim $3,500 plus $7,000 for business/travel, the deputy mayor can claim up to $6,500 and councillors can claim up to $5,500.
The funding is to be used to run offices and can include items such as office supplies, phones, phone bills, per diems and travel to conferences, board or committee meetings. Mileage travelled to meetings/events can also be claimed at a rate of $0.61 per kilometre.
Former Collingwood Mayor Brian Saunderson earned $15,545 plus $210 in special meeting pay and claimed $755 in expenses. Saunderson took a leave of absence from his role to run for Simcoe-Grey MPP for the Progressive Conservatives in April, and officially stepped down from the mayor position on June 6 following his win of the seat.
Coun. Mariane McLeod earned $27,698 plus $770 in special meeting pay and spent $2,276 on discretionary expenses. McLeod served officially as deputy mayor starting in September following Saunderson’s resignation, and received $3,320 in discretionary spending plus $116 in travel compensation for her work as chair of the Nottawasaga Valley Conversation Authority.
Coun. Steve Berman earned $23,775 plus $770 in special meeting pay. He claimed no discretionary expenses in 2022. Coun. Bob Madigan earned $23,775 plus $560 in special meeting pay and spent $2,749 on expenses.
Coun. Tina Comi, who resigned from her council seat on Jan. 21, 2022, earned $2,505 plus $700 in special meeting pay. Coun. Chris Carrier, who was appointed to take over Comi’s seat in March and served until the end of the term in October, earned $17,741 plus $560 in special meeting pay. Neither claimed any expenses in 2022.
Three members served on the 2018-22 council and are serving again on the 2022-26 council: now-Mayor Yvonne Hamlin, Coun. Deb Doherty and Coun. Kathy Jeffery.
For all of 2022, Hamlin earned $29,396 plus $700 in special meeting pay and claimed $2,376 in expenses. She served as a councillor until October when she was elected mayor.
Doherty earned $26,359 plus $770 in special meeting pay and claimed $4,019 in expenses. She was paid an additional $1,153 in expenses for her work on the board for the Association of Municipalities of Ontario.
Jeffery earned $26,359 plus $770 in special meeting pay and claimed $381 in expenses. She was paid an additional $5,307 in expenses for her work on the board for the Federation of Canadian Municipalities.
Of the new 2022-26 guard, who were all elected in October and started their terms officially in November, new Deputy Mayor Tim Fryer earned the most at $3,051, with $74 in discretionary expenses.
Couns. Christopher Baines, Brandon Houston, Steve Perry, Chris Potts and Rob Ring each earned a base salary of $2,585. Baines, Houston, Perry and Potts each spent $608 in expenses, while Ring spent $74.
In July, council voted to change council compensation for the 2022-26 council term. Under the new system, the mayor is now a full-time position (it had previously been considered part-time), and includes a base pay rate of $60,900 annually. The deputy mayor would now earn $32,548 and councillors would earn $28,000.
