Staff
Town council will see minor increases to its meal and mileage rates to keep pace with the cost of living.
After comparing figures with neighbouring municipalities, the Council Remuneration Committee recommended amending the “inside Northwestern Ontario” meal rates in the town’s travel policy as follows:
•Breakfast–$13 (previously $12);
•Lunch–$17 (previously $16); and
•Supper–$35 (same as before).
Council also will amend the “outside NWO” rates as follows:
•Breakfast–$20 (previously $15);
•Lunch–$25 (previously $20); and
•Supper–$45 (previously $40).
Additionally, the mileage rate will be amended to be equivalent to those rates as set from time to time by the Canada Customs and Revenue Agency.
The current rate is 54 cents per kilometre for the first 5,000 km driven and 48 cents per kilometre after that.
The town rate had been 47 cents per kilometre.
Council approved these changes at its regular meeting Monday night.
The Council Remuneration Committee was appointed back in October and its mandate set.
In February, council approved the committee’s first set of recommendations regarding per diem and remuneration.
Those recommendations were to:
•increase its full-day per diem rate from $150/day to $160/day; and
•institute an annual remuneration increase equal to what the management/non-union staff receive, which is 1.5 percent for 2017.
Also at that time, council further tasked the committee to review the travel policy–specifically meals and mileage rates.
It subsequently came up with the recommendations listed above.
