In these days of downsizing, where can you still land a plum job where you only have to show up for once-a-month meetings stretched over a two or three day period, and retire with a $78,000 severance in your pocket? Toronto City Hall, that's where.
While taxpayers summered, the administration committee (read city councillors) recommended that city politicians be given a severance package of up to $78,000 when they leave office (read sometimes after being booted out of office), or one month of wages for every year of service up to 12 months. Who needs trade unions with city councillors at the switch?
Sadly, the severance issue showed that staff are almost as greedy as their masters and mistresses elected to public office. The original staff recommendation called for a maximum severance of only six months. But by the time the staff report made it to committee level, it had been discovered that some area municipalities provide severances of up to 12 months--so presto, staff changed the recommendation to reflect the best package available for their municipal bosses.
Not only will the $78Gs severance package be available for councillors who are booted out of office or resign during a term of office, (in some cases to run for the greener pastures of provincial or federal politics), it will also be paid to the chosen beneficiaries of councillors who die in office.
If you want to find out how hard city councillors work for their $62,691 a year, try finding them in their offices at Toronto City Hall. |
This latest council perk also comes with an additional $3,500 for "outplacement, transition or retirement counselling" for councillors who resign, are defeated or choose not to run for re-election.
These poor folk who run our city hall, will be coddled on our money. How many corporations pay for the counselling of their fired, retired or replaced employees? Perhaps council should consider counselling for taxpayers who have to watch their ridiculous antics over Rogers Cable.
Since the election of megacity council, each councillor's annual budget, including salaries, exceeds $300,000. Over council's three-year term, it is now costing taxpayers about $1-million for each councillor.
If you want to find out how hard city councillors work for their $62,691 a year, try finding them in their offices at Toronto City Hall. As Toronto Free Press has discovered, The Mike Walkers (North Toronto) and Doug Holydays (Markland-Centennial), who actually work for their money, are few and far between.
Somewhat ironically, the decision on the new severance package coincides with sensitive negotiation time with the city's 28,000 unionized employees who haven't seen a pay hike in seven-and-a-half years. City employees are demanding to have their wages and benefits brought into line with the highest levels paid by the seven former governments that blended into the megacity. At press time, the city was still insisting that it can't afford the rate.
When the severance package reached the administrative committee, Coun. Holyday was the only committee member to vote against it. Councillors Ron Moeser, Doug Mahood and Sandra Bussin supported it.To TFP, Sandra Bussin is a sad commentary on the kind of politicians who get elected to municipal councils. Elected by Beach residents as the only newcomer in the last municipal election, Bussin, a do-little trustee, hailed from the spend-happy Toronto Board of Education.
You can bet the rent money that this rookie didn't lose any time in jumping with both feet into the well-trodden public trough.
This November marks only one year to 2000 civic elections. Perhaps politicians who always count on short voter memory, will be remembered this time. Isn't municipal government noble?
Pursuant to Title 17 U.S.C. 107, other copyrighted work is provided for educational purposes, research, critical comment, or debate without profit or payment. If you wish to use copyrighted material from this site for your own purposes beyond the 'fair use' exception, you must obtain permission from the copyright owner. Views are those of authors and not necessarily those of Canada Free Press. Privacy Statement