Hamilton councillors expensed $52K in 2012

Hamilton councillors spent a combined $52,369.86 on conferences, meals and other expenses while conducting city business in 2012.

Expenses ranged from Mayor Bob Bratina's trip to the Big City Mayor's Caucus in Ottawa in November, to trips by Coun. Russ Powers for several meetings of the Association of Ontario Municipalities,of which he is president.

Expenses filed were as follows:

• Mayor Bob Bratina: $4,521.23
• Coun. Brad Clark (Ward 9): $299.05
• Coun. Chad Collins (Ward 5): $2,005.63
• Coun. Scott Duvall (Ward 7): $10,973.53
• Coun. Jason Farr (Ward 2): $902.78
• Coun. Lloyd Ferguson (Ward 12): $1,666.35
• Coun. Tom Jackson (Ward 6): $2,416.67
• Coun. Brenda Johnson (Ward 11): $4,468.99
• Coun. Brian McHattie (Ward 1): $3,239.84
• Coun. Sam Merulla (Ward 4): $2,558.73
• Coun. Bernie Morelli (Ward 3): $2,942.72
• Coun. Judi Partridge (Ward 15): $230.20
• Coun. Robert Pasuta (Ward 14): $4,413.92
• Coun. Maria Pearson (Ward 10): $806.59
• Coun. Russ Powers (Ward 13): $6,638.69
• Coun. Terry Whitehead (Ward 8): $4,284.94

Duvall's expenses included attending the Federation of Canadian Municipalities conferences in Ottawa, Laval and Saskatoon.

Partridge, a Flamborough councillor, claimed only $230.20 in "other expenses" and claimed no expenses the year before. She attends more than 100 events a year, she said, but she prefers to absorb many of the costs herself.

"I basically pick up as much of my own expenses as possible," she said. "It's not a big deal. It's just a personal choice."

The mayor earns a salary of $118,517.62 per year. Councillors earn $69,911.35. Both receive special tax exemptions on one-third of their income.

Councillors claimed $43,859.99 in expenses in 2011 and earned salariesof$67,635.88. The mayor earned $118,517.62 in 2011.