Not a surprise, really, that Vision Coun. Tim Stevenson spent more on travel and conferences in 2014 than his council colleagues.
He did, after all, go to Sochi, Russia from Jan. 28 to Feb. 9.
His tab was $7,083, according to a city staff remuneration and expenses report that was to go before council this week.
Stevenson, who is gay, went in place of Mayor Gregor Robertson as a symbolic gesture to protest the Russian government’s anti-gay propaganda law at the Winter Olympics. He went with former VANOC staffer Maureen Douglas, whose tab was picked up by condo king Bob Rennie, developer Peter Wall and others in the community.
Was it worth the expense?
“Absolutely,” said Stevenson, noting he met with International Olympic Committee officials and implored them to amend its Charter to ensure a person’s sexual orientation would be a provision included in a non-discriminatory clause related to rights and freedoms. “That, in itself, was amazing because a lot of people, including journalists, said I’d never get in their offices.”
The non-discrimination of a person’s sexual orientation, he added, is now written into the Charter and applies to all future host cities of the Olympic and Paralympic Games.
The $7,083 Stevenson spent on the Sochi trip was the biggest expense of his $19,083 travel tab in 2014. He also went on trips to Niagara Falls for a Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM) conference ($3,264) and attended two other FCM conferences in Saguenay, Que. ($2,147) and Ottawa ($2,362).
He took two trips to Whistler to attend conferences hosted by the Union of B.C. Municipalities ($1,811) and Lower Mainland Local Government Association ($966). A trip to the World Pride Human Rights conference in Toronto cost $1,450.
Stevenson, who earned $73,272 as a councillor, also spent $2,620 on “local expenses,” which the city says covers parking, transportation, business meetings, community events and memberships. Stevenson also claimed a $4,056 transportation allowance.
His Vision colleague, Coun. Heather Deal, was runner-up in the travel expense department, spending $13,048 to attend five of the same conferences as Stevenson. She also went to Thunder Bay ($2,635) for an FCM board meeting.
Her local expense tab was $1,760. Deal claimed the $4,056 transportation allowance and earned $70,443.
Vision Coun. Raymond Louie spent a total of $12,361 to attend the same meetings as Deal, except for the Lower Mainland Local Government Association meeting in Whistler. His local expenses totaled $2,879, he claimed a $4,153 transportation allowance and earned $70,443. (Note: Louie also earns income from his role as vice-chairperson of Metro Vancouver, where his colleagues also get paid as directors. That income is not reported in the council report but accessible on Metro Vancouver’s website).
You would think Mayor Gregor Robertson would have spent the most on travel expenses but, as I’ve discovered over the years, various organizations will pick up the tab or partial tab just to have the mayor attend a conference.
That happened when Robertson attended the C40 Cities Mayors Summit in South Africa from Feb. 2 to 11. The city’s cost was $2,426, which was the biggest bill of the five trips disclosed by the mayor. Total expenses for all five trips, which included a measly $75 for the B.C. Mayors’ Caucus in Cranbrook, was $6,481.
Robertson earned $153,455 as mayor, spent $10,245 on local expenses and claimed a $7,175 transportation allowance, which seems like a lot for a guy who has a free transit pass and cycles.
Vision Coun. Andrea Reimer’s biggest expense of her $5,063 total travel tab was a $2,168 bill for a trip to Charlottetown for an FCM sustainable communities conference. Her local expenses totaled $3,189 but the regular transit rider did not claim a transportation allowance. She earned $72,633.
Vision Coun. Geoff Meggs, who made $73,272, spent $2,084 on two trips to Whistler for LMLGA and UBCM conferences. A fan of cabs and transit, Meggs also didn’t claim a transportation allowance but spent $4,197 on local expenses.
NPA Coun. Elizabeth Ball spent $2,708 for the FCM conference in Niagara Falls and only $10 on her trip to Whistler for the UBCM meeting. She spent $2,371 on local expenses, claimed a $4,056 transportation allowance and earned $70,443.
NPA Coun. George Affleck spent $1,129 on his trip to Whistler for the same conference. He claimed the $4,056 transportation allowance, spent $1,448 on local expenses and earned $70,443.
Three councillors — Kerry Jang, Adriane Carr and Tony Tang (who lost his 2014 re-election bid) — did not spend any money on travel or conferences.
But Jang, who earned $70,443, spent $2,386 on local expenses and claimed a $4,056 transportation allowance. Carr spent $2,373 on local expenses, claimed a $4,056 transportation allowance and earned $70,443.
Tang finished his city hall career with a $67,507 salary after spending $965 on local expenses and claiming a $3,993 transportation allowance.
In February, council unanimously agreed to have an independent review of whether they earn enough money. No word yet when a report will be done.
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