Calgary city council meetings can cost thousands when run overtime
Costs such as overtime quickly add up when number of staff required is considered, says mayor
The cost of doing business can add up quickly at city hall when Monday council meetings run into the evenings.
City administrators estimate the number can be as much as $10,000 to cover staff overtime costs and other expenses.
The total cost doesn't come as a shock to Mayor Naheed Nenshi, given how many people need to stay when meetings go long.
"It doesn't surprise me but you know, these are things where we continually as an organization have to continue to be as efficient as possible," he said. "Sometimes we like to go on and on and on about things, request lots of reports and so on. Sometimes, we just gotta make a decision."
Coun. Peter Demong says the expense is part of the price of democracy but does wish council could get its business done with shorter meetings.
"It did quite shock me. I'm not quite entirely sure what the staff is that we're holding over that aren't management and/or general managers that's encompassing this $10,000," he said. "That is something I'm going to look into because I just don't know who the people are that are being held over that's costing us this much."
While administrators caution the figure is just a cost estimate, they say the point of providing it is to show elected officials that there is a cost to meetings going late.