A look at Saskatoon’s mayor and councillors’ 2024 travel expenses

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Travel and training expenses — in amounts ranging from $78 to $8,800 — claimed by Saskatoon’s mayor and council will be up for discussion this week.

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Council’s governance and priorities committee on Wednesday is scheduled to look over those expenses for 2024 from former mayor Charlie Clark and current mayor Cynthia Block, as well as from the current and former city councillors.

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TRAVEL AND TRAINING

Each councillor has a budget for general travel and training, including to attend events such as the Saskatchewan Urban Municipalities Association (SUMA) convention or the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM) conference.

A common travel and training budget is also provided to attend annual conferences or board meetings of any organization — such as FCM or the Canadian Urban Transit Association — to which a councillor is appointed as an official city representative or as a board member.

Much of the expenses claimed in 2024 stemmed from councillors attending the Federation of Canadian Municipalities conference in Calgary. Coun. Troy Davies spent $2,226.39 to attend, while Coun. Randy Donauer spent $3,032.71.

Coun. Zach Jeffries spent $3,087.18 for meetings in Ottawa that included FCM business, meetings at Ottawa’s mayor’s office and time with multiple federal ministers.

The remainder of councillors either had no travel or training expenses or spent less than $800.

The total amount of individual spending on travel and training was $9,595.36.

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Out of the common travel and training expenses, $7,560.89 was spent by two councillors: $7,520.89 by Coun. Mairin Loewen for meetings and conferences related to the FCM in Prince George, B.C., Calgary and Ottawa; and $40 spent by Donauer related to a SUMA sector meeting.

Former mayor Charlie Clark had travel expenses of $8,828.12 on trips to Ottawa, Regina, Calgary, Victoria, B.C., and Winnipeg for meetings that included FCM’s Big City Mayors’ Caucus, SUMA and the Victoria Forum.

Current Mayor Cynthia Block expensed $78 on travel to attend the Throne Speech in Regina.

CAR ALLOWANCES

For two decades, councillors have been reimbursed for using their personal vehicles for city business. Councillors receive a rate — set by the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) — of 70 cents for the first 5,000 kilometres driven and 64 cents thereafter.

Last year, Coun. Bev Dubois claimed $3,315.20, Jeffries claimed $2,485.70, former Coun. David Kirton claimed $1,764.70, Davies claimed $1,386 and former Coun. Darren Hill claimed $1,178.80

All other councillors either did not claim a vehicle allowance, or claimed under $600.

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Clark claimed $1,425.25 on a vehicle allowance while Block claimed $87.36 as mayor and nothing while a councillor.

HOW MUCH IS BUDGETED?

The total budget for individual travel and training in 2024 for all councillors was $35,000, but only $9,595.36 was spent.

The total budgeted for common travel and training was $24,000, but only $7,560.89 was spent.

The budgeted amounts were pro-rated because 2024 was an election year. Sitting councillors were allocated $29,050 from the total individual travel and training amount; after the election, they were able to access the remaining two months of budgeted funds.

Some travel and training are paid for by other sources, including for councillors on the board of police commissioners. In that case, expenses come out of the police budget.

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