City of London releases 2016 councillor expense reports

Councillor Phil Squire has made good on his word, with a caveat.

A year after learning he was beat out by three other councillors when it came to having the lowest expense totals in 2015, Squire managed to get the top spot for having the lowest total for 2016, aside from Councillor Jared Zaifman who was on an extended medical leave for the majority of the year.

Squire’s expense total was $2,247.28, followed closely by Councillor Paul Hubert at $2,649.01.

On the other end of the spectrum sit Councillor Harold Usher with $12,931.18, followed by Councillor Michael van Holst at $12,048.02 and Councillor Bill Armstrong at $11,870.34.

Councillor Virginia Ridley’s expense total was $11,383.11, leaving her with the fourth highest expenditure. The year before she had the highest at $13,960.

Councillor expenses are capped at $15,000 a year under the current rules.

• Harold Usher – $12,931.18
• Michael van Holst – $12,048.02
• Bill Armstrong – $11,870.34
• Virginia Ridley – $11,383.11
• Tanya Park – $9,692.05
• Mo Salih – $9,049.52
• Anna Hopkins – $8,778.82
• Josh Morgan – $7,223.85
• Jesse Helmer – $5,015.53
• Stephen Turner – $4,053.93
• Maureen Cassidy – $2,716.98
• Paul Hubert – $2,649.01
• Phil Squire – $2,247.28
• Jared Zaifman – $1,650.50

Some of the more unusual items included on the expenses lists were Michael van Holst charging $8.99 for a No Sweat Public Speaking book and $35.62 to attend the Tech Alliance holiday mixer. Mo Salih charged $81.40 for an iPhone case while Josh Morgan charged $76.30 for an iPhone case and screen protector. Councillor Virginia Ridley also charged $50.76 for safety boots for ridealongs with London Police.

The smallest items included on the list involved van Holst charging $1.30 three times for iPhone storage, on October 13, November 15, and December 20.

Travel expenses are counted separately. In 2016, Councillor and then-Deputy Mayor Maureen Cassidy billed $3,832.55 to the city in travel expenses as a councillor and another $5,160.71 as the mayor. Councillor Ridley billed $807.25 for travel while Jared Zaifman billed $4,601.07. Harold Usher, a member of the Federation of Canadian Municipalities, billed $7,911.79 in travel expenses.

Also separate from general expenses, several councillors also billed the city for home office internet as part of the additional expenses reports:

• Virginia Ridley: $1,022. 87
• Mo Salih: $756.98
• Michael van Holst: $679.09
• Maureen Cassidy: $569.85
• Anna Hopkins: $406.96
• Josh Morgan $330.67
• Bill Armstrong: $229.64

The remaining councillors did not charge anything for home office Internet. Additional expenses were for tickets and various membership fees, with van Holst and Usher billing $35 each while Salih, Cassidy, Squire, Park, and Zaifman all billed $25 each.

The total councillor expenses for 2016 sit at $101,310.12. In addition, Internet expenses totaled $3,996.06 while travel expenses totaled $22,313.31, and tickets added another $195.

With files from Devon Peacock.