Outrageous

Dear sir:
Recent actions by the current council of the Town of Fort Frances require some clarification.
Hopefully, what follows will not sound like sour grapes but instead will offer an insight into the actions and statements of some council members with regards to council remuneration.
I have become quite fed up with Mayor Onichuk continually blaming the previous council for all the town’s ills and fiscal problems. After six months in office, it is time to move on.
There are three members of the 2000-03 council who are currently sitting, will none of them speak up?
During the two past council terms, there were some very difficult financial situations to deal with, in part caused by the provincial government’s downloading of services and arbitrary changes within property tax classes after we had struck budgets, which certainly compounded some problems.
Now then let me get to the main issue! Members of council are not employees of the town. They, therefore, should not receive the same benefits negotiated by town employees through a union.
When I was first elected, the benefits package was as reported, in that councillors could receive a package which included extended health care (which covered prescription drugs and coverage outside the country for every medical emergency or hospital visit), dental, and a life insurance policy.
There was a deductible amount of about 10 percent. You either opted in or out, depending on whether you had your own coverage or not. No second thought was given to the plan at the time.
It wasn’t until my next term, and negotiations to renew the plan came before council, that a number of councillors started questioning the benefit package and the cost to the taxpayer.
Logically, an aging workforce increases the number of claims made and the cost of premiums paid out. In 2003, that cost was $3,511 per councillor, but all were not partaking of the benefit and those who did not were being shortchanged.
It also was felt by some at the table that $10,000 per year was more than adequate compensation for the work being done. I always have believed that there is a volunteer component to the honour of public service, and that $10,000 per year is adequate compensation for the work performed.
As now, the issue became a “hot button” and subsequently a vote was called to change the entire remuneration package. Four councillors felt the change was fair while three disagreed.
The majority of councillors were not in favour of receiving both the benefits package and the stipend, which would have increased the cost to $13,682 per person per year.
I was under the impression that when we voted to change the plan that the money earmarked to pay for it would have been taken out of the budget. Why the money was left in the 2004 budget is beyond me because the change happened in 2003.
The extra money could have been used in any number of areas.
While examining the issue in 2003, we asked that the remuneration packages from other communities be brought forward so we could compare them. The following clearly illustrates another reason why we made the change:
•Fort Frances (population 8,315)—the mayor’s salary was $18,094 while the councillors were paid $10,171;
•Dryden (7,731)—$18,000 (mayor), $8,000 (councillors);
•Kenora (15,444)—$22,800 (mayor), $11,400 (councillors);
•Kapuskasing (9,325)—$19,362 (mayor), $8,068 (councillors); and
•Renfrew (7,942)—$19,850.27 (mayor), $6,565 (councillors).
There are no other benefits available to council members in any of these communities except Kapuskasing and if members there want one, they pay for it out of the council salary.
This is the current arrangement here, and I believe the salary is acceptable and sufficient.
So, shame on you Mayor Onichuk and Couns. Gilson, Kabel, and Wiedenhoeft. You four apparently want this change retroactive back to December of 2003? Why? Does one of you have some prescription drugs needing reimbursement?
The federal Liberal government gave us the sponsorship fiasco, which was scandalous, Dalton McGuinty lied to us, which was a travesty, and now the Fort Frances council wants to gouge us again (on top of bag tags, tax increases, and fees for everything) which is not priceless, it is outrageous.
Thank you for allowing me this space in your newspaper.
Signed,
Dave Bourgeault
Former councillor
Town of Fort Frances