Newmarket releases council spending expenses

Yorkregion.com
March 10, 2016
By Chris Simon

From hotel accommodations to community ice rink nets, Newmarket council members were not shy about using their discretionary expense funds in 2015.

The town has released a breakdown of expense reimbursements paid to its elected officials in 2015. The report details the amount paid to ward councillors, Mayor Tony Van Bynen and Regional Councillor John Taylor through town discretionary funds.

Van Bynen spent nearly 54.4 per cent of his $14,413 discretionary account. The highest expense was for fuel and vehicle maintenance ($4,636.83), followed by the Ontario Small Urban Municipalities conference ($507.78), Southlake Regional Health Centre event ticket ($500), OSUM conference accommodations ($277.50) and Economic Developers Council of Ontario training ($203.52). His smallest reimbursement was $28.05, for a Portraits of Giving event ticket.

“The mayor has a responsibility to represent the community,” he said.

“It’s really important we maintain and develop relationships that enhance our community and make our municipality more efficient and recognize people who contribute to our community’s well-being. They build the relationship we need. That relationship (with Southlake, for example) is really important. Frankly, I’d be embarrassed if the mayor of the host municipality didn’t participate at an important fundraising event (for) Southlake.”

Taylor spent about 98.3 per cent of his $6,586 council discretionary fund. That included allocations for a website update ($1,890.70), Southlake event ticket ($500), Christmas advertisement in The Era ($355.14) and York Children’s Fund ($300) and Equity Council of York Region ($265.99) event attendance. His smallest reimbursement was for a Newmarket Chamber of Commerce event ($15.26).

Discretionary funding is determined through yearly budget deliberations. However, the amount allocated has not been increased since 2010.

“The purchasing power of those budgets has been eroded by the rate of inflation,” Van Bynen said.

Ward councillors receive a $5,500 annual discretionary allowance.

Of those members of council, Councillor Dave Kerwin spent the most - 99.3 per cent of his budget. That includes $1,198.97 for Association of Municipalities of Ontario conference hotel accommodation, Federation of Canadian Municipalities and AMO conference registration ($799 and $763.20, respectively), a flight ($497.16) and a spaghetti dinner at The Meeting House ($367.80). The smallest expense claimed was for a chamber networking breakfast ($25.44).

“We’ve got guidelines and a process to publish these things; sunshine is a great healer,” Van Bynen said.

“What’s important is that we have full disclosure and transparency. I’m not going to second-guess the good judgment of the individual councillors; they make their own decisions and that’s why they have their own budgets.”

Councillor Tom Vegh spent 98.6 per cent of his allocation. His largest expense was for AMO conference hotel accommodations ($1,411), followed by a ‘creative outdoor’ advertisement ($1,086), AMO conference registration ($707.23), an ice rink video ($300) and the Children’s Dream golf tournament ($250). His smallest reimbursement was for $20.35 for an AMO service solutions workshop.

Vegh was also reimbursed $1,374.24 by the Newmarket Public Library Board for attending the Ontario Library Association Conference in Toronto ($916.85 for hotel accommodation, $391.78 in fees and $65.61 for meals).

Meanwhile, Councillor Kelly Broome-Plumley used nearly 94.5 per cent of her allocation. She spent $2,059.89 on a postcard mail out and $2,519.70 at FCM ($859.04 for accommodation, $799 for conference registration, $579.85 for a flight and $281.81 for related expenses). Her smallest claim was for a Portraits event ticket, $28.02.

Councillor Joe Sponga spent about 79.4 per cent of his budget. Community rink goals, frames and nets ($1,078.66), a ringette championship sponsorship ($1,000), post box signs ($619.86), and community rink volunteer appreciation ($365.68) and washroom ($166.72) were his largest reimbursements. He also claimed $7.89 for refreshments at a YRT/Viva transit meeting.

Councillor Jane Twinney used 49.8 per cent of her fund. That includes spending on AMO conference registration ($707.23), hotel accommodations ($625.02) and mileage and parking ($227.66). She was also reimbursed for greeting cards ($263.56) and participation in the chamber’s Business Excellence awards ($152.64). Twinney’s smallest claim was $16.29 for parking at the Ontario Bike Summit.

The lowest spenders were councillors Christina Bisanz (25.3 per cent) and Tom Hempen (24.7 per cent). Bisanz used $496.23 on Canada Post cards, $381.60 for a ward meeting, $225 for a Glenway Preservation Association meeting room rental and $44.66 for an ad in Snapd Newmarket. She was also reimbursed $36.51 for map lamination.

Hempen spent $780 at an Urban Land Institute Toronto symposium, with most of the remaining funds spent on fundraisers for Easter Seals ($160), Community and Home Assistance to Seniors ($125) and York Children’s Fund ($100). He also purchased a ticket to the York Regional Police appreciation night ($150) and an ad in Snapd ($44.66).

Any unused funds are transferred into the town’s operating surplus, money that is used to replenish reserve or contingency funds.

“It stays on the books of the municipality and is utilized in later years, for example, when we have a bad snow year and reserves (are needed to) help fund that,” Van Bynen said.

Several council members - Taylor ($267.98), Kerwin ($1,107.65), Hempen ($258), Sponga ($805.33) and Broome-Plumley ($130.95) - claimed expenses through a separate ‘environmental’ discretionary fund as well.