Hawkesbury town council earnings for 2018 were recently made public, and because 2018 was an election year, both the former council and current council, which took office at the beginning of December, are listed.
In total, the Town of Hawkesbury spent $186,362.35 on council costs in 2018.
Councillors in Hawkesbury are paid a base amount of $18,881.35 per year for attending meetings and the mayor is paid $36,329.02. In January, council voted to keep their salaries the same.
However, the base salaries for councillors and the mayor are higher on the charts provided by the town. Treasurer Philippe Timbers said that is because the numbers include additional remuneration received as members of other boards and committees. Council members were also paid additional amounts for conventions and telephone costs.
Timbers also noted that some of the amounts are higher because of varying contributions to pension and benefit plans for each council member.
Former mayor Jeanne Charlebois earned a base amount of $40,485.21, which includes the $2,152.17 she received for being a member of the Police Services Board. Charlebois was also paid an additional $2,500.73 for attending other meetings and convention expenses, which brought her earnings to $42,985.94.
Councillor André Chamaillard, who was re-elected in October’s municipal election, received a base amount of $22,077.44 for the entire year. Included in that amount is the $2,000 he was paid for being a member of the Hawkesbury Hydro Commission. Chamaillard was paid $1,575 for attending other meetings claimed $440 in telephone expenses which raised his yearly total to $24,092.74.
Former councillor Daniel Lalonde’s base earnings were $20,895.45. He claimed $440 in telephone expenses which resulted in total earnings of $21,335.45.
Pierre Ouellet, also a former councillor, earned $20,009.45 as a base amount and claimed $450 in telephone expenses. That increased his total earnings to $21,459.45.
Councillor Yves Paquette, the only other councillor who was re-elected and served for the full calendar year, received a base salary of $22,085.73. That number includes $2,000 Paquette was paid as a member of the hydro commission. Paquette also received $1,575 for attending other meetings. Additionally, he claimed $1,752.06 in convention expenses and $440 in telephone expenses which led to $25,852.79 in yearly earnings.
Johanne Portelance, who did not run in the 2018 election, earned a base amount of $21,118.46, which includes $1,152.94 for serving on the library board. Portelance claimed a convention expense of $1,575 and received $301.15 for acting in a public relations capacity for the town. Her total earnings for the year were $22,994.61.
Former councillor Michel Thibodeau’s base amount was $21,043.46, which includes the $2,000 he was paid for serving on the Hawkesbury Hydro Commission. Thibodeau received $825 for attending other meetings which brought his yearly total to $21,868.46.
Current council
The 2018 earnings for Mayor Paula Assaly and the other newly elected councillors are much lower because everyone served less than one month of the calendar year.
Assaly’s total earnings in 2018, which did not include any other meetings, committees, or convention expenses were listed as $1,863.14.
Councillor Robert Lefebvre was paid $1,004.93 which includes $36.65 in convention expenses. Lefebvre also received $3,144 in 2018 as the Chair of the Police Services Board, a position he has retained since being elected to council.
Councillors Antonios Tsourounakis, Lawrence Bogue, and Raymond Campbell were all paid $968.28 for their service in 2018 with no additions for committees or additional meetings.
