Originally posted by CBC News
SCOTT DAVEY PROPOSES $14,500 LIMIT OVER FOUR-YEAR TERM
Kitchener city councillor Scott Davey wants to put a cap on funds available for council members in order to attend seminars and conferences.
Davey says that currently all of council shares a pool fund of $41,000 a year, but there's no limit on how much individual councillors can use.
"The way my proposal would work is that there isn't a per year limit they could spend but there is an absolute cap over a four year term of $14,500. And that means no member of council can spend more than that over their four year term," said Davey in an interview with CBC News.
In addition to Davey's proposal of $14,500 for each councillor, he'd like to see a cap of $18,500 for the mayor.
"The system should be set up in a way, that if I choose not to go on conferences that that money should go back to the tax base not to other members of council to go on more conferences," said Davey.
Mayor Carl Zehr is open to the idea.
"I think it's a reasonable approach to take a look at this because it is an element of fairness for each member of council so that one is not spending a greater proportion of the budget than the other," said Zehr.
"But I'm also looking forward to the discussion that we will have with all members of council."
Davey says he is bringing the motion forward to increase transparency and accountability.
His motion will be presented at council on Monday.
