Mayor tops list Council, committees 2005 price tag-- $286,985

Close to $300,000 in salaries, benefits, and expenses was paid to members of Town of Halton Hills council and committees in 2005. The mayor and 10 councillors collected the bulk of the money-- $286,985.55-- of which $271,000 was spent on salaries and benefits, $5,800 on conferences and seminars and $9,000 on "other" (primarily car mileage). Mayor Rick Bonnette collected $54,880 in salary and benefits, plus $1,848 for conferences and seminars and $2,167 in other expenses. As previously reported, Bonnette also earned $39,907 for his work at Halton Region and claimed $1,990 in conference expenses and $1,470 in car mileage and other expenses. Ward 4 Councillor Ron Chatten and Ward 2 Councillor Bryan Lewis both earned $20,777 in salaries and benefits and claimed no other expenses. Lewis as a member of Conservation Halton had received an $800 honorarium and $348 in car mileage and other expenses. Ward 3 Councillor Moya Johnson earned $21,278 in salary and benefits but claimed no other expenses. Wards 3/4 Regional Councillor Jane Fogal earned $21,295 at the local level and collected no expenses. At the regional level, she collected $39,881 in salary and benefits and claimed $1,441 for conference expenses and $2,015 in car mileage and other expenses. At the local level, Wards 1/2 Regional Councillor Clark Somerville earned $22,165 in salary and benefits, $1,149 in conferences and seminars and $1,478 in Other. At the regional level, he earned $39,880 in salary and benefits, claimed no conference expenses and $2,156 in car mileage and other expenses. As a member of the Halton Regional Police Services Board, he claimed $1,640 for conference expenses and $348 for car mileage and other expenses. Ward 3 Councillor Mike Davis earned $22,148 in salary and benefits and claimed $205 for conferences and seminars and $1,283 for Other. Ward 1 Councillor John Hurst earned $22,149 in salary and benefits, and claimed $1,149 in conference and seminars, and $793 in Other. His ward mate, Councillor Mike O'Leary earned $21,278, claimed no conference expenses but collected $1,755 for Other. Ward 2 Councillor Joan Robson earned $21,647 in salary and benefits, and claimed $1,361 for conferences and seminars, and $1,000 for Other. As the Town's representative on the Credit Valley Conservation, she had received $931 honorarium and claimed $351 in car mileage and other expenses. Ward 4 Councillor Bob Inglis earned $23,537 and claimed $168 in conferences and seminars, and $684 in other expenses. As the Town's representative on Conservation Halton, he received a $400 honorarium and claimed $302 in car mileage and other expenses. Halton Hills Committee of Adjustment members, Dave Adair, Ramsay Barr, Allan Cook, Paul Dray and Erik Kowal, received in total about $6,000 in salaries, benefits and expenses. Each averaged just over $1,000 each. Kowal, as a member of the Property Standards committee, earned $150 while his colleagues, Edward C. Lawson and Brian Maltby collected $250. Fence viewers David Anderson, Kenneth Ewen and Leslie Thatcher, collected $50 each for their service to the Town. Four members of the Town's Accessibility Advisory Committee put in for a total of $308 in expenses.