City taxpayers anted up almost $400,000 in salary and expenses for its elected representatives in 2017.
Orillia Mayor Steve Clarke received a salary of $81,814.08, while each of the eight ward councillors took home a salary of $38,140.91, bringing the total remuneration for mayor and council to $386,941.36.
Meanwhile, the expenses for the city’s elected officials ranged from nothing (Coun. Tim Lauer) to the more than $3,750 claimed by Coun. Mason Ainsworth. The mayor and council are able to recoup costs for city business-related travel and ‘out-of-pocket’ expenses, seminar and conference fees and other items.
Clarke’s expenses amounted to about $1,400. Lauer did not ask for any recompense for his expenses, while Coun. Ralph Cipolla claimed just $75 for business cards.
Coun. Jeff Clark claimed expenses of just over $1,800, while Coun. Ted Emond asked for $355, Coun. Pat Hehn claimed expenses of $937, Coun. Sarah Valiquette-Thompson was paid $441 and Coun. Rob Kloostra was repaid $1,360 for his expenses.
Ainsworth topped the list by a wide margin at $3,750. About $2,500 of his expense claim was related to costs to attend the annual AMO and OSUM conferences.
In total, councillors and the mayor combined to charge $9,592.26 in expenses.
The remuneration paid – in terms of honorariums – to citizens who served on city committees in 2017 added up to $23,452.54.
