Grey County council has defeated an attempt to stop paying alternate councillors who attend meetings when a regular member of council is absent or unable to attend.
At its meeting on Oct. 24, county council voted against a resolution from Owen Sound Mayor Scott Greig that would have eliminated per diems paid to alternate members of council when they attend a meeting.
In Grey County, each municipality’s mayor and deputy mayor serve on county council. Each local council also has the option (through provincial legislation) to appoint an alternate member to attend meetings when a regular member is absent. Alternates are paid a per diem by the county when they attend a meeting.
Greig’s resolution would have eliminated the per diems for the alternates. Greig acknowledged that the matter was relatively minor in the overall scheme of the county’s budget - the county budgets $5,000 per year for alternates - but said it was an expense item that could be eliminated.
“While it’s a small line item, I don’t think it’s a necessary item,” said Greig, who noted that the county allows virtual attendance for members that reduces the number of “empty seats” at council meetings when a member is unable to attend in person. “I don’t think it’s in the best interest of the taxpayer.”
Greig’s resolution set off a significant discussion around the county council table with several members expressing support, while others questioned why the county would eliminate the pay for alternate members doing county work.
Clerk Tara Warder explained that the alternate county councillors are appointed by the lower-tier municipality and the county does not have any control or influence over that process.
“Sometimes it’s important to have people in those seats,” said Grey Highlands Mayor Paul McQueen. “It’s a tool that is there to bring representation from the lower tier.”
Multiple members of council asked how much the alternates actually cost the county. Warder said in 2023 the cost was $2,871 and $9,338 over the last four years.
Meaford Mayor Ross Kentner said the two tier/county system of local government is often “poorly understood” and having alternates for county council was one way of increasing understanding of how the system works.
“I don’t want to discourage anybody,” he said.
Chatsworth Mayor Scott Mackey said the bottom line is that voters in each municipality elect a mayor and deputy mayor to represent them at county council.
“The community only voted for the mayor and deputy mayor,” said Mackey, who said the local municipalities should pay the per diem costs if they choose to appoint alternates. “They should be paying that tab and not the county.”
Ultimately, county council voted to defeat the resolution.
