ALMAGUIN – The final tallies for Almaguin municipal councils’ remuneration for the year 2007 are all filed and show a large difference in compensation.

Magnetawan

Magnetawan Mayor Dick Smith was the highest paid local municipal politician. The resolution passed by his council for 2007 remuneration and expenses says he was compensated $18,080 in remuneration and $1,868 in expenses for a total of $19,948.

Frank Tod was the highest compensated Magnetawan councillor collecting $13,700 in remuneration and $1,335 in expenses. He was followed by Kris Nicholls at $12,885 in remuneration and $1,207 in expenses. Patti Paul was next at $11,690 in remuneration and $403 in expenses followed by Tony Pratas at $10,890 with $79 in expenses.

Whitestone

Whitestone mayor Chris Armstrong garnered $15,026 in remuneration, plus a $751 RRSP contribution and $2,968 in expenses for total compensation of $18,745. Councillor Bill Church was the highest compensated councillor at $11,762 in remuneration and $2,106 in expenses for a total of $13,868.

Councillors Alan Ladd , Joe Lamb and Morley Moore all received $10,216 in remuneration. Ladd had expenses of $632, Lamb $256 and Moore $846. Ladd and Lamb also each received RRSP contributions of $511.

Armour

Compensation in Armour Township was relatively predictable until expenses were taken into account. All councillors received remuneration of $8,904 and the reeve $12,084. On the expense side there were some big differences though. Councillor Jerry Brandt was compensated for expenses of $3,352 in 2007. The next highest expense claim was from Reeve Bob MacPhail at $821. Other councillor expenses were: Marty Corcoran – $398; Pat Hayes – $332; and Rod Blakelock – $20.

Ryerson

The breakdown of Ryerson Township’s governance costs has about three-quarters of the about $40,000 spent going toward remuneration and one-quarter to expenses.

In remuneration alone, Reeve Glenn Miller received $8,690, councillor Barb Marlow $6,290, George Sterling $5,525, Gib Lane $5,100 and Paul Fink $4,808. The resolution showing remuneration and expenses does not break down expenses in total for each councillor, but includes line items of each expense and the council members incurring them. Total expenses amounted to $10,954.

Burk’s Falls

In Burk’s Falls the most notable figure when compared to other municipalities was the amount for expenses. The grand total claimed by village council members added up to $304. Councillor Bruce Campbell claimed more than half of that with $172, followed by Reeve Cathy Still at $75 and councillor Ron Russell at $57. Councillors Lewis Hodgson and Rex Smith did not claim any expenses.

Remuneration wise, Still took home $8,350, Russell $7,225, Smith $7,125, Campbell $7,050 and Hodgson $6,975.

McMurrich-Monteith

Two councillors lead the reeve in pay in the Municipality of McMurrich-Monteith. Merv Mulligan was paid $5,325 with $1,004 in mileage and John Murphy collected $5,225 and $283 in mileage in 2007. Reeve Glynn Robinson took home $5,225 in pay and $1,212 in mileage reimbursement.

Councillor David Evans was paid $4,425 in council fees and $171.60 in mileage for the year. Former councillor Heather Wilson, who resigned from council mid-year, received $2,400, while her replacement, councillor Tina Scott, received $1,250. Neither claimed mileage.

Perry

Mayor Bill Core led the pack with his $12,000 remuneration, $50 in committee honourariums and $219.60 in expenses.

All councillors received $8,400 in 2007. Councillors John Dunn and Les Rowley collected $650 and $600 in committee honourariums, respectively. Councillors Mary Anne Love and Rowley were reimbursed $124 and $182 for mileage, respectively. Councillor Jim Cushman received no council honourariums and no mileage.

Kearney

Mayor Jeff Johnston leads the pack in pay, collecting around $4,670 in council honourariums and $7,950 in meeting pay. Each councillor received $3,600 in 2007 — $300 a month — in honourariums. In terms of meeting pay collected by councillors, Sadie Fetterley received $2,000, Mary Lesperance was paid $500, Shirley Reeds received $3,200, Bob Tilley got $4,600, Paul Tomlinson received $3,800 and Charlie Zummach was paid $4,300. Kearney could not give mileage and expense rates on a per-councillor basis, said deputy clerk-treasurer Keven Allen. However, she said $13,135 had been paid for training, development and mileage to council in 2007.

Sundridge

Mayor Elgin Schneider received a total of $11,320.75 in 2007, including $10,630 in remuneration, plus $690.75 reimbursement for mileage expenses.

Deputy mayor Bill de Vries was second-highest in Sundridge, with $8,745 in remuneration and $345 in mileage.

Councillor Sue Ayotte received $8,500 in remuneration, plus $254.70 in mileage.

Councillor Barry Morris drove the farthest by far, receiving $1,040.60 in mileage reimbursement along with his $6,680 in remuneration. Councillor Lawrie Vincer was just the opposite, claiming only $54 in mileage while receiving $6,355 in remuneration.

Machar

Mayor Harvey Pinkerton received $7,084 in remuneration in 2007, while claiming just $252 in mileage.

Next in line was councillor Edna Coughlin, receiving $5,063 and claiming no mileage at all. Councillor John Train likewise claimed no mileage in 2007, receiving just his $4,238.32 in remuneration.

Deputy mayor Lynda Carleton’s mileage was a mere $62.55 on top of her $4,980 in remuneration. Councillor Ron Ivory, meanwhile, received $4,391.51, and just $54 in mileage.

Strong

Strong council’s pay structure is relatively simple, consisting of a monthly stipend for attending all meetings.

Mayor Steve Rawn received $978 per month, for a total of $11,736 per year.

Councillors Chris Ellis, Merlyn Snow, Vi Montpetit and John Newstead each receive $824 per month, totaling $9,888 per year. Mileage for township business is paid at a rate of 45 cents per kilometre. Strong did not supply specific mileage amounts.

Joly

Joly council is paid a base salary, plus payment for meetings and expenses, as well as mileage.

Mayor Mario Campese received a one-time payment of $750, plus $5,025 for meetings and expenses, amounting to $5,775 in total.

Councillors each received a one-time payment of $500.

Councillor Tom Rheubottom received $3,300 for meetings and expenses, for a total of $3,800.

Councillor Betty Barnes received $2,325 on top of her one-time payment, as well as $97.44 in mileage, adding up to $2,922.44. Barnes was one of only two members of Joly council to claim any mileage.

Bruce Baker’s remuneration for meetings and expenses came to $3,075, giving him a total of $3,575.

Councillor Sue Moss had the most mileage, at $207.78. Along with her one-time payment and remuneration of $2,708.62, Moss received $3,416.

South River

South River councillors receive a base salary in the amount of $2,500 for the mayor and $2,000 for each councillor. Payment is then made for council and committee meetings, expenses and mileage.

In 2007, Mayor Jim Coleman received a total of $7,090, including meetings, expenses, mileage and base salary.

Deputy mayor Les Mahon’s remuneration and expenses came to $6,630.

Councillor Kathy Parker received $7,390, Jeff Dickerson $5,900 and Brenda Scott $5,695.

East Ferris

East Ferris mayor Bill Vrebosch received a salary of $13,750 for 2007 with additional expenses for conferences, budget and training sessions and sitting on boards and agencies bringing his total remuneration to $18,108.54. Deputy mayor Robert Point received an annual payment of $10,325 with expenses of $3,206 for a total payment in 2007 of $13,531.37. East Ferris councillors Terry Kelly, Richard Champaign and Dan Corbeil each received $9,300 with Kelly’s expenses amounting to an additional $3,008; Champaign’s to $4,661; and Corbeil’s to $1,792.  Total remuneration to council members for 2007 totalled $69,282.

Nipissing

Nipissing mayor Wendy Billingsley receives an annual remuneration of $10,800 and according to statements provided by the township office, has not charged the township for any additional expenses for 2007. Deputy mayor Kalvin Young and councillors Leslee Lawrence Straus, Pat Haufe and Dougal Culham each received an annual amount of $7,200. Like Billingsley, Young did not claim any addition remuneration for sitting on local boards or agencies, and charged back to the township only a nominal $28 in expenses for the past year. Lawrence Staus received $299.54 in additional expense money, while Haufe charged nothing back to the township over and above his annual remuneration. Only councillor Culham received additional remuneration for sitting on local boards, totally $240, but had no other expenses. The total remuneration costs for Nipissing councillors in 2007 was $40,167.

Powassan

Powassan mayor Bob Young received an annual remuneration of $12,000 with expenses of $5,407 for a total of $17,407. Deputy mayor Nancy Barner and councillors Blair Beatty, Gerry Giesler, Roger Glabb, Peter McIsaac and George Thompson each received remuneration of $6,888. Barner’s additional expenses were $5,213 for a total of $12,013; Beatty’s were $2,080 for a total of $8,880; Gielser had $1,857 in expenses for a total figure of $8,657.  Councillor Roger Glabb had only $800 in expenses for a total remuneration of $7,600 and McIsaac even less with $500 in expenses bringing his remuneration to $7,300. Thompson’s expenses totalled $2,084 for a 2007 remuneration of $8,884.  The total paid out for Powassan council in 2007 was $70,742.

Callander

In Callander, councillors annual remuneration is calculated at $150 per council meeting rather than one annual salary amount. Expenses are then paid for conferences, board or agency meetings and travel expenses.

Callander mayor Hec Lavigne was paid a base rate of $13,500, claiming an additional $2,673 in expenses (of which $758 was for his BlackBerry) for a total remuneration of $16,173. Deputy mayor Virginia Onley’s gross salary was $8,850 with additional expenses of $1,400 bringing her yearly remuneration to $10,250. Councillors Maurice Turgeon, Heather Busch and Doug Brydges each made $9,000 from attending regular council meetings, with Turgeon having additional expenses of  $4,194 for a total of $13,194; Busch’s expenses were $3,350 for a total of $12,350. Bridges’ expenses came to only $540, primarily for his attendance at the Good Roads convention, for a total of $9,594.  Callander’s total costs for running the 2007 council was $61,561.

Chisholm

Figures for the expenditure of Chisholm Township were not yet available at the time of deadline for this publication, but are expected to be made public later this week.