ROOKIE COUNCILLORS JOIN ANNUNZIATA IN RACKING UP LARGE EXPENSES

Well, there it is. The least-productive Fort Erie councillors have joined their regional counterpart in running up large expenses for "governing" their constituents. In Fort Erie Council's case., along with large tax increases . Newcomers Marina Butler, Chris Knutt ("this is too hard"), and George McDermott reported well over a thousand dollars in expenses, while, the man, Passero, who cost the taxpayers over $50,000. for a by-election voted by the new council, rather than appointing the runner-up to fill the Ward 2 seat left vacant by the death of Rick Shular, used up an additional $1201.42 of taxpayer money.

Only Ward 3 Councillor Kimberly Zanko and Ward 5 Councillor Don Lubberts reported zero expenses.

One would assume that the amount of expenses correlates with the amount of work that the councillors did for their constituents, but it seems that the opposite is true this time. Marina Butler is basically a no-show in Ward 4 and Chris Knutt finds it too much work to represent Ward 6. Of course, neither has to worry much about getting re-elected in 2018 if they want. With the Chamber of Commerce basically controlling the election outcome and the council, there is little hope that there will be any change soon.

Too bad, Fort Erie. You had your chance; instead, you let yourselves be bullied and frightened into voting against your best interests while your former mayor and his friends mounted a vicious lawsuit against four councillors. Only one (Lubberts) survived the Old Guard financed lawsuit and the negative publicity. The case was dismissed, but the damage had been done. Insurance paid the councillors back for their massive expenses to defend themselves for a lawsuit that was born out of spite.

Off Topic: The death of Rob Ford brings out all the praise and accolades. I guess people's grief makes them forgetful. 

Expenses:

READ ON:

Appendix “1” to Administrative Report No. CS-06-2016 – 2015 Statement of Remuneration and Expenses

MAYOR & COUNCIL

Name:Mayor Redekop

Salary: $56,904.09

Benefits: $7,015.08

Travel Allowance: $0.00

Expenses: $865.00

Total: $64,784.17

Name: Councillor Butler

Salary: $13,301.37

Benefits: $2,727.00

Travel Allowance: $898.12

Expenses: $1,822.38

$18,748.87

Name: Councillor Knutt

Salary: $13,301.37

Benefits: $6,794.40

Travel Allowance: $898.12

Expenses: $1,897.13

$22,891.02

Name: Councillor Lubberts

Salary: $13,301.37

Benefits: $2,727.00

Travel Allowance: $898.12

Expenses: $0.00

$16,926.49

Name: Councillor McDermott

Salary: $13,301.37

Benefits: $6,775.08

Travel Allowance: $898.12

Expenses: $1,490.59

$22,465.16

Name: Councillor Passero

Salary: $9,674.91

Benefits: $5,095.80

Travel Allowance: $653.37

Expenses: $1,201.42

$16,625.50

Name: Councillor Shular

Salary: $301.11

Benefits: $183.83

Travel Allowance: $20.22

Expenses: $0.00

$505.16

Name: Councillor Zanko

Salary: $13,301.37

Benefits: $6,794.40

Travel Allowance: $898.12

Expenses: $0.00

$20,993.89

SUB TOTAL

Salary: $133,386.96

Benefits: $38,112.59

Travel Allowance: $5,164.19

Expenses: $7,276.52

$183,940.26