Mayor earns $128K in salary, benefits

Mayor Marianne Matichuk was paid $127,989 in salary and benefits last year, according to the city treasurer's report.

The mayor's wages and benefits, when combined with the rest of council, totalled more than $637,578.

Ward 5 Coun. Ron Dupuis topped the list of councillors' remuneration and benefits at $49,027.

Others include: Ward 1 Coun. Jacques Barbeau was paid $40,794; Ward 2 Coun. Joe Cimino was paid $40,794; Ward 3 Coun. Claude Berthiaume was paid $44,559; Ward 4 Coun. Evelyn Dutrisac was paid $43,420; Ward 6 Coun. André Rivest was paid $42,164; Ward 7 Coun. Dave Kilgour was paid $44,724; Ward 8 Coun. Fabio Belli was paid $43,421; Ward 9 Coun. Doug Craig was paid $39,434; Ward 10 Coun. Frances Caldarelli was paid $36,242; Ward 11 Coun. Terry Kett was paid $40,271; and Ward 12 Coun. Joscelyne Landry-Altmann was paid $44,799.

Matichuk claimed $42,628 in expenses and mileage for 2011.

Kilgour filed the highest combined amount of claims and mileage among councillors at $18,977 ($12,378 for expenses, $6,598 for mileage).

Other include: Barbeau, $12,323 ($8,572 for expenses, $3,750 for mileage); Cimino, $3,034 (no mileage claimed); Berthiaume, $9,641 ($6,341 for expenses, $3,300 for mileage); Dutrisac, $17,106 ($11,249 for expenses, $5,856 for mileage); Dupuis, $10,629 (no mileage claimed); Rivest, $8,220 ($4,563 for expenses, $$3,656 for mileage); Belli, $8,512 (no mileage claimed); Craig, $11,937 ($8,820 for expenses, $3,116 for mileage); Caldarelli $5,069 ($4,501 for expenses, $568 for mileage); Kett, $15,211 ($7,580 for expenses, $7,630 for mileage); Landry-Altmann, $9,987 (no mileage claimed).

The city's chief financial officer will present the report to council March 27. For more details, visit agendasonline.com. (http://www.greatersudbury.ca/agendas/index.cfm?pg=feed&action=file&agenda=report&itemid=27&id=481

Matichuk said, historically, each mayor has been allotted a global office budget of about $600,000, which goes towards office expenses including community events, donations and sponsorships, advertising, travel and staffing costs. Other expenses include office supplies, and stationary for the fabrication of proclamations, certificates and awards of merit.

The mayor's office budget ended with a surplus of more than $76,000, which was returned to the city’s general revenues, she said, in a news release.

Matichuk said as part of her commitment to accountability and transparency, city staff were directed to look into a new policy for the disclosure of the mayor and council’s office expenses. While looking into this policy, it was realized that in previous years, some expenses in the mayor’s office were excluded from the report.

Matichuk wants ensuring that all her expenses are transparent.

“If we're going to report our expenses, we should be disclosing all of them. We have to be accountable about how much we're actually spending. This is a simple change that will help us be better stewards of our hardworking constituents' tax dollars,” Matichuk said.

In previous years, certain mayoral office expenses were never disclosed. This year, these items will all be included in the expense report, she said.

“It is very important to me that I lead by example. Staying within my budget and finding efficiencies within my own office is imperative,” stated Matichuk.

Posted by Arron Pickard