TAKING ATTENDANCE:

TAKING ATTENDANCE:

There have been 64 Town council meetings so far this term. Combined, the 11 members of council have missed a total of 29 of them.

Continued from pg. 1 As representatives to Halton Regional Council, Bonnette, Somerville and Fogal also have a number of additional weekly meetings to attend. Each was marked absent for one of the 34 meetings over the three-year period. Bonnette, as a member of the planning and public works committee missed four of those 49 meetings. Health and Social Services member Somerville was marked absent for three of the 39 meetings and Fogal was absent twice for the 38 Administration and Finance committee meetings. However, all three often attended each other's committee meetings, particularly if Halton Hills items were on the agenda. Back to municipal council: Ward 1 Councillor Jon Hurst missed one meeting (in 2004) and his ward mate Mike O'Leary missed two (one in 2004 and the other this year). Ward 2 Councillor Bryan Lewis was absent for two (one in 2004 and the other in 2006) while Ward 2 Councillor Joan Robson was absent for three-- one in 2004, two in 2005 (one of which was an unscheduled special council meeting). Ward 4 Councillor Bob Inglis missed five council meetings-- two in 2004 and three in 2005. Two of the five were unscheduled special council meetings. Retiring Ward 4 Councillor Ron Chatten missed three meetings including one unscheduled special council meeting. Council meetings are held every other week-- except in the summer where there is only one meeting per month. Councillors are also required to sit as member of the Corporate or Community Affairs committee, which meets about once a month or more or less, if necessary. Community affairs and corporate affairs committees were set up to handle many of the important, but often housekeeping, issues that slow down a regular council meeting; council membership is split between the two committees. The meetings are often held right before a council meeting (hence a missed council meeting and committee meeting could often be the same day). Community Affairs members are property taxes each year. Of the 15 meetings Chatten missed two, Davis two, Inglis one, Lewis one and Fogal one. Councillors also serve as a council appointee to various boards and committees-- such as the police services board, Conservation Halton, vandalism committee, etc.-- and a perusal of meeting minutes show that councillors also had a good record of attendance. Somerville sits on five boards/committees while while Lewis and Fogal serve on four. Inglis, Davis, Robson, Johnson and Bonnette sit on three while Hurst, Chatten and O'Leary are members of two each. In 2006, the mayor will be paid $49,463 for town service and $36,535 for regional service for a total $85,998 salary. Regional councillors receive $21,047 for town service and $36,535 for regional service for a total $57,582. Local councillors receive $21,047. So far, all councillors, with the exception of Davis, have filed to seek re-election in November 13 municipal election. Councillor Ron Chatten is retiring. In May, the provincial government changed the term of office from three years to four. The Town has four wards, 1 (Acton), 2 (rural area including Glen Williams and Norval), 3 (west and central Georgetown) and 4 (east and south Georgetown). Besides the mayor, there are two local representatives for each ward and two regional councillors, one serving the Acton and rural area and the other serving the Georgetown urban area.