A proposal by former reeve Al Kemmere to post Mountain View County councillors' approved monthly expense claims on the county website met with strong support at the July 11 policies and priorities committee meeting.“It's providing the public with information and that way they can avoid the FOIP (Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy) process,” Kemmere (Div. 7) said. “Plus it helps us identify errors.”Deputy reeve Patricia McKean agreed, saying it was a matter of transparency. She added that monies received from attending committees and commissions should also be posted on the site.“I like your idea, Al,” Div. 1 Coun. Kevin Good said. “This is public information. This is something the public wants to know. I agree 100 per cent.”Div. 5 Coun. Bob Orr warned there could be consequences.“Transparency is fine,” Orr said, “but it could escalate more phone calls.”Kemmere dismissed the concern.“I have no problem explaining to my ratepayers that they're paying me to do a job,” he said.The discussion came during P&P's review of council's remuneration policy, which was updated to reflect council members' basic per diem rate, said Jeff Holmes, director of legislative, community and agricultural services.Under the policy, the per diem rate for a full day (four to eight hours) is $233.54 while the base pay amounts are $26,728 for councillors, $31,833.18 for deputy reeve and $49,622.31 for reeve.The revised document also amends the procedure so that councillors' monthly expense claims will be reviewed by the reeve instead of administration, with the deputy reeve to review the reeve's claims.Div. 6 Coun. Paddy Munro asked what the basic rates are in Red Deer and Rocky View counties.Holmes said he didn't have those figures but pointed out that every three years a committee is struck “to make sure our rates are competitive.”Munro moved deferral of the policy until comparison figures are available, accepting Good's suggestion that administration “throw in a Ponoka or two” as well as the “more urban-style counties” that Munro had mentioned.When Holmes asked if the request was to have a remuneration committee begin a review immediately, Munro said, “That works for me.”P&P also recommended council approve wording changes to institute Kemmere's proposed monthly posting of expense claims on the county website.The county's 2011 consolidated financial statements show that last year's total salary (base pay and per diem, one third of which is tax-free), benefits and allowances for council members were: $37,948 for Div. 1, $51,423 for Div. 2, $44,508 for Div. 3, $43,562 for Div. 5 and $53,923 for Div. 7.In Div. 6, Munro, who served just over nine months of the year as reeve before resigning the position for health reasons, received a total of $76,547, while Div. 4 Coun. Bruce Beattie, who was appointed reeve after serving the previous year as deputy reeve, received a total of $49,363.Chief administrative officer Tony Martens received $154,487 in salary and $33,586 in benefits and allowances, for a total of $188,073, the 2011 statements show.
