Summerside mayor calls $32K to send 9 people to national conference 'good investment'
'We’re fiscally responsible, there’s no question about that'
Although Charlottetown plans to rein in costs to off-Island conferences, Summerside Mayor Basil Stewart is a staunch defender of elected officials attending the Federation of Canadian Municipalities conference each year.
Stewart is a former president of the organization and told CBC News that the yearly conference is a vehicle for municipalities across Canada to lobby the federal government.
"It's a good investment for councillors to attend and push strongly for things for their municipality," he said.
On Friday morning the city released its expense report for that trip, which shows it cost Summerside taxpayers $32,175.24 to send the mayor, five councillors and three city staff to the conference in Quebec City back in May.
Last year it cost Summerside taxpayers about $11,667 for mayor, council and staff to attend the conference in Halifax, according to an email from the city's finance director. More elected officials and staff went this year.
Accomodations cost more on average than Charlottetown
Last week, Charlottetown Mayor Philip Brown told CBC News that although the conference is useful, the city does have to rein in costs in going to off-Island conferences like the FCM. Charlottetown's cost to taxpayers for officials to go to Quebec City was about $43,993.22 — up from the $24,599 spent to go to the Halifax last year.
Summerside's mayor takes a different view, saying there is "strength in numbers" in councillors attending.
"We're fiscally responsible, there's no question about that," Stewart said. "If the numbers went way down across the country, the federal government would just sort of wipe their brow and say 'well there's no concern here.'"
<a href="https://twitter.com/summersidePEI?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@summersidePEI</a> made an appearance at the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/FCM2019?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#FCM2019</a> trade show! <a href="https://t.co/6atPdzbSHH">pic.twitter.com/6atPdzbSHH</a>
—@justin__doironSummerside's accommodations for mayor and council, however, did cost the taxpayers about $300 more on average than Charlottetown's. Stewart's accommodations cost the most among Summerside's elected officials at $1,766.58.
He said the city's accommodation bill was high because availability was limited.
"When the city went to register, all of a sudden everything started to get booked because the bigger cities and the bigger provinces, there's so many from across the country that get in there first," Stewart said.