Business Travel Budget for Members of Council

The Strategic Policies and Priorities Committee recommends that:

(1)for Members of Council who are not elected or appointed to the executive, board, section executive, task force or committee, the cap to attend the annual meeting of the Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO), the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM), the International Union of Local Authorities (IULA), World Association of Major Metropolis (WAMM), Ontario Good Roads Association (OGRA), International Council for Local Environmental Issues (ICLEI) be limited to a total of $5,000.00 per Member on an annual basis, in recognition that international destinations may require the incurring of additional costs, subject to sufficient funds being available from the Council Business Travel Budget; and

(2)the Clerk be requested to survey Members of Council in the Fall of each year to ascertain their travel requirements for the following year, in order that the business travel estimates can be included in the operating budget submission of Council for consideration as part of the annual budget review process.

The Strategic Policies and Priorities Committee submits the following transmittal letter (June26, 1998) from the Budget Committee:

Recommendation:

The Budget Committee on June 25, 1998, submits to the Strategic Policies and Priorities Committee, without recommendation, the transmittal letter (June 22, 1998) from the Corporate Services Committee.

Background:

The Budget Committee on June 25, 1998, had before it a transmittal letter (June 22, 1998) from the Corporate Services Committee regarding the Business Travel Budget for Members of Council.

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(Transmittal letter dated June 22, 1998, addressed to theBudget Committee from theCorporate Services Committee)

Recommendation:

The Corporate Services Committee on June 22, 1998, recommended to the Budget Committee, and Council, the adoption of Recommendations Nos. (1) and (2); and endorsed Recommendation No. (3) embodied in the joint report (June 18, 1998) from the Chief Administrative Officer, the Commissioner of Corporate Services, and the Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer.

Background:

The Corporate Services Committee on June 22, 1998, had before it a joint report (June 18, 1998) from the Chief Administrative Officer, the Commissioner of Corporate Services, and the Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer, reporting as directed by City Council on June 3, 4 and 5, 1998, respecting Business Travel by Members of Council; advising that based on responses received from Members of Council regarding their intent to attend the annual meetings of the Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO), the Federation of Canadian Municipalities ( FCM), the International Union of Local Authorities (IULA), World Association of Major Metropolis (WAMM), Ontario Good Roads Association (OGRA) and the International Council for Local Environmental Issues (ICLEI) this year, remaining funds in the Council Business Travel Budget are sufficient to cover the cost of such expenditures for 1998; that no additional funds are required from the Corporate Contingency Account at this time; and recommending that:

(1)for Members of Council who are not elected or appointed to the executive, board, section executive, task force or committee, the cap to attend the annual meeting of the Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO), the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM), the International Union of Local Authorities (IULA), World Association of Major Metropolis (WAMM), Ontario Good Roads Association (OGRA), International Council for Local Environmental Issues (ICLEI) be limited to a total of $5,000.00 per Member on an annual basis, in recognition that international destinations may require the incurring of additional costs, subject to sufficient funds being available from the Council Business Travel Budget;

(2)the Clerk be requested to survey Members of Council in the Fall of each year to ascertain their travel requirements for the following year, in order that the business travel estimates can be included in the operating budget submission of Council for consideration as part of the annual budget review process; and

(3)the recommendations of the Corporate Services Committee and this report be submitted to the Budget Committee for consideration.

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(Joint Report dated June 18, 1998, addressed to theCorporate Services Committee from theCommissioner of Corporate Services, Chief Financial Officer and Treasurerand the Chief Administrative Officer)

Purpose:

At its meeting held on June 3, 4 and 5, 1998, the Council of the City of Toronto gave consideration to Clause No. 13 of Report No. 7 of the Corporate Services Committee, entitled "Office Administration and Expenses of Members of Council." The Clause as amended by Council, recommended that funds for any interested Member of Council to attend the annual meeting of AMO, FCM, IULA, WAMM, OGRA and ICLEI be provided from the Council Business Travel Budget and that additional funds, if required, be allocated from the Corporate Contingency Account.

This report responds to a directive by Council that staff submit a report to the Corporate Services Committee on:

(1)the implications of this recommendation with respect to Members of Agencies, Boards and Commissions; and

(2)a cap on such expenditures; such report to also review the other policies of the former municipalities in regard thereto.

Source of Funds and Financial Implications:

Based on responses received from Members of Council regarding their intent to attend the annual meetings of AMO, FCM, IULA, WAMM, OGRA and ICLEI this year, remaining funds in the Council Business Travel Budget are sufficient to cover the cost of such expenditures for 1998. Accordingly, no additional funds are required from the Corporate Contingency Account at this time.

Recommendations:

It is recommended that:

(1)for Members of Council who are not elected or appointed to the executive, board, section executive, task force or committee, the cap to attend the annual meeting of the Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO), the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM), the International Union of Local Authorities (IULA), World Association of Major Metropolis (WAMM), Ontario Good Roads Association (OGRA), International Council for Local Environmental Issues (ICLEI) be limited to a total of $5,000.00 per Member on an annual basis, in recognition that international destinations may require the incurring of additional costs, subject to sufficient funds being available from the Council Business Travel Budget;

(2)the Clerk be requested to survey Members of Council in the Fall of each year to ascertain their travel requirements for the following year, in order that the business travel estimates can be included in the operating budget submission of Council for consideration as part of the annual budget review process; and

(3)the recommendations of the Corporate Services Committee and this report be submitted to the Budget Committee for consideration.

Council Reference/Background/History:

In considering Clause No. 13 of Report No. 7 of the Corporate Services Committee, entitled "Office Administration and Expenses of Members of Council," City Council recommended that funds for AMO, FCM, IULA, WAMM, OGRA and ICLEI be provided from the Council Business Travel Budget and that additional funds be allocated from the Corporate Contingency Account, if required.

Comments and/or Discussion and/or Justification:

The following is a list of annual conferences for 1998:

AMOAugust 23 - 26, 1998Annual ConferenceToronto, Ontario

FCMJune 5 - 8, 1998Annual ConferenceRegina, Saskatchewan

IULAJune 8 - 10, 1998World ExecutiveHelsinki, Finland

WAMMApril 23 - 25, 1998Annual ConferenceSeoul, Korea

OGRAFebruary, 1998Annual ConferenceToronto, Ontario

ICLEIFebruary, 1998Annual ConferenceBursa, Turkey

All Councillors were polled to ascertain which of the upcoming annual conferences they intended to attend in 1998. Of the remaining conferences for 1998, six of the nineteen Councillors who responded, have expressed interest in attending the AMO conference. Based on this information, funds to cover such costs are available in the Council Business Travel Budget.

There have also been several requests to attend the 1999 annual meetings of WAMM, IULA, FCM and ICLEI. A more extensive survey of Members of Council will be conducted in the Fall, and funds to cover such costs will be submitted through the 1999 budget review process.

On June 3, 4 and 5, 1998, Council adopted, as amended, Clause No. 13 or Report No. 7 of the Corporate Services Committee entitled, "Office Administration and Expenses of Members of Council". Contained within this report was a recommendation that Members of Council seek

Council approval for Conference/Seminar events exceeding $3,500.00 (Canadian Funds). This policy remains in effect.

In recognition that international destinations may require the incurring of additional costs, it is recommended that the cap for Members of Council, who are not members of the Executive or Board of Directors, to attend the annual meetings of the aforementioned approved municipal organization be limited to $5,000.00 per Member on an annual basis, subject to sufficient funds being available from the Council Business Travel Budget.

Members of Council who wish to travel while acting in their capacity as a Chair or Vice-Chair of a City Agency, Board or Commission may do so, provided such funds are available in the operating budget of the particular Agency, Board or Commission, in conformance with the current policy.

Policies governing business travel in the former municipalities were as follows:

East York:

Since all requests for attendance were submitted to the East York Council, the limit or cap for each conference was set by Council, with funds provided from a miscellaneous account.

Etobicoke:

A cap of $2,500.00 was set for attendance at conferences. Expenditures were charged to a separate professional development account.

Metro:

Business travel expenses for Members directed to travel by Council, or incurred by Members of Council appointed to an executive, board or committee representing municipal interests were charged to a business travel account in the Council budget with no cap. Discretionary travel expenses were paid from the Members' individual office budgets, with an annual cap per Councillor of $2,800.00.

Discretionary travel was limited to $2,800.00 annually. The following, however, were exempt from the $2,800.00 limit:

(i)expenses incurred by Members of Council in attending the annual conference or annual section meeting of the Federation of Canadian Municipalities, or the Association of Municipalities of Ontario;

(ii)expenses incurred by a Member of Council, where the Member of Council was a speaker, panel participant or paper presenter at an event, and where such participation was formally recognized in the agenda;

(iii)registration fees and related expenses for local conferences that did not require an overnight stay or per diem expense claim; and

(iv)expenses incurred by Members of Council who were elected or appointed to the Executive, Board, Section Executive, Task Force or Committee of an association representing municipal interests, where membership was paid by a department.

North York, Scarborough and York:

Council Members conference costs were charged directly to their own Discretionary Account. There was no cap or limit set.

Toronto:

Council Members appointed to an executive, board or Committees could attend annual conferences, with such costs charged to a general Council Operations Budget. Attendance at other conferences of specific interest to the Councillor were charged to the Councillor's own Office Expenditure Budget. No cap or limit was set.

Conclusions:

This report responds to the issues raised by Council and the Corporate Services Committee on business travel for Members of Council. The City Clerk has been consulted in the development of this report and supports its content and recommendations.

Contact Name:

Jim Hart, Director, Council Services and Management Services - 392-8676.