Councillors report expenses

By Dan Hilborn
Published June 24, 2006


The mayor of Burnaby brought home almost $130,000 in wages, benefits and travel allowances last year, according to the most recent council indemnity report presented to city council on June 19.

Derek Corrigan received $88,410.16 in total indemnity (wages), another $11,068.47 in benefits, $10,468.87 in automobile allowances, $3,717.08 in cellphone, fax and Internet expenses, plus $13,899.27 in travel expenses to seven different conferences.

His travel expenses covered trips to the Federation of Canadian Municipalities directors' meeting in Whistler ($1,002), a Mayors for Peace conference in New York City ($3,102.85), the municipal federation conference in St. John's, Nfld. ($3,966.40), the World Police and Fire Games in Quebec ($1,537.81), another federation directors' meeting in P.E.I. ($3,277.48), the Union of B.C. Municipalities convention in Vancouver ($358.45) and a federation conference in Ottawa ($654.28).

His total remuneration was more than double the amount paid out to any of the city councillors, who received up to $39,293.18 for a full term in office. Some of the councillors received slightly more or less in their indemnity because of last fall's civic election when councillors Doug Evans and Celeste Redman retired and were replaced by Gary Begin and Garth Evans.

When the city councillors' total wages, benefits and expenses are combined, rookie Sav Dhaliwal brought home the highest total of $54,067.44, made up of $3,538.65 in benefits, $3,489.26 in phone costs, travel expenses to three municipal federation meetings and the B.C. municipalities' convention.

The councillor with the second greatest total remuneration was Nick Volkow, who received a total $51,805.30, followed by Dan Johnston at $51,119.45, Lee Rankin at $49,837.05, Pietro Calendino at $49,607.46 and Colleen Jordan at $46,927.92.

Redman and Doug Evans, who each served 11 months in office prior to the election, received $46,822.01 and $42,201.81 respectively.

Begin and Garth Evans, who served one month apiece after the election, received totals of $3,967.14 and $3,848.15 respectively.

All city council members are provided with Blackberry telephone/e-mail devices, although Jordan did not submit an expense sheet for her phone costs. Only the mayor receives a vehicle allowance.

The councillor who did the least amount of travel last year was Calendino, who was reimbursed $589.89 for the B.C. municipalities' convention in Vancouver. The councillor with the most travel was Dhaliwal, who was reimbursed $7,095.91 for trips to Newfoundland, P.E.I., Whistler and Vancouver.

City council typically revisits its indemnity rate each August, when an appointed panel of three community representatives looks at a variety of factors, such as the consumer price index, B.C.'s average wage increases and pay rates for city hall's unionized staff.

The committee then forwards a recommendation to city council for its approval and the indemnity rates are often made retroactive to the beginning of the year.