Every City Councillor in Winnipeg has a $72,000 budget that is available for hiring staff, placing ads, mileage costs, travel, meals, newsletters and other work expenses. While the City of Winnipeg posts summary tables of members' expenses (including the Mayor) online, there are no details as to how the funds were spent; the tables simply note expenditures by category.
Further, the budget information that is posted online doesn't mention special $5,000-7,000 budgets that are available to Councillors who are chairs of council committees.
Last year the CTF released a freedom of information response from the City which showed how the funds were used in 2007 and 2008. Further, we called for placing the information online. Until such a change is made, we'll keep posting the information on our site. Here are details on how those budgets were spent in 2009.
Is Canada Off Track?
Canada has problems. You see them at gas station. You see them at the grocery store. You see them on your taxes.
Is anyone listening to you to find out where you think Canada’s off track and what you think we could do to make things better?
You can tell us what you think by filling out the survey