Extra $1K for expenses proposed for city councillors

City councillors may vote to allow themselves more money to cover their expenses, starting next year, to make up for the loss of a tax break they currently enjoy.

The issue will be discussed Monday after having been deferred, at a meeting in late March, when the agenda was particularly heavy.

Starting in 2019, elected officials will no longer receive a tax break on one-third of their pay — they will have to pay income tax on their full salaries.

That means councillors will have to start keeping receipts so they can deduct expenses on their income tax — which may or may not equal the one-third tax exemption they’re getting now.

On Monday at City Hall, councillors will consider a staff recommendation that they allow themselves an extra $1,000 a year to cover their expenses.

Right now councillors get $1,000 a year for expenses, plus another $500 to cover the cost of running ward meetings, for a yearly total of $1,500.

The proposal from city staff is that councillors get $2,500 instead, which would cost the city $10,000 more in 2019.

The idea is to “somewhat offset” councillors’ expenses through “direct reimbursement,” the city staff report explains.

Councillors will decide Monday whether they want to add this extra council pay to the draft budget documents for 2019 (meaning that the incoming council can debate it again — and vote a final time — at budget time in the fall).

The mayor currently earns $69,612 annually in Peterborough, while city councillors earn $28,503.

At the meeting, councillors will also review other city staff reports outlining changes in legislation that will soon affect municipal elections and policy for elected officials. For example:

Code of conduct for council

City council will have to adopt a code of conduct for itself soon.

Ontario’s Municipal Act is being updated, and it now says that all councils need a code of conduct as of March 1, 2019.

Previously, codes of conduct were optional for councils. Peterborough city council considered adopting one in 2016, but rejected the idea.

Coun. Gary Baldwin had championed the plan to have a code of conduct for council two years ago — but only Coun. Diane Therrien and Coun. Henry Clarke agreed to it.