$2M paid out to councillors who didn't win — or even run — in 2018 election
Last year's total marks highest severance payout for a post-amalgamation council
Nearly $2 million in severance was paid to outgoing councillors for 2018, marking the largest post-election payout for any council formed since amalgamation, new city documents show.
It's partly a reflection of the mass exodus sparked by the province's council slashing legislation, which contributed to many of the 26 departing councillors either leaving the race or losing their seats — but some say it's a "troublesome" policy that leaves taxpayers on the hook.
The latest severance numbers are part of a report on council remuneration and expenses that's heading to Toronto Mayor John Tory's executive committee for review on Tuesday.
Out of those who received severance, 10 long-time councillors landed the top payout of more than $114,000 — the maximum allowed, reflecting up to 12 years of service — including Maria Augimeri, Shelley Carroll, Janet Davis, Glenn De Baeremaeker, Frank Di Giorgio, Norm Kelly, Giorgio Mammoliti, Joe Mihevc, Cesar Palacio, and David Shiner.
Several of those now-former councillors, like Davis, De Baeremaeker and Shiner, opted not to run, while Palacio pulled out of his race a month before the October election.
Others, including Augimeri, Di Giorgio, Kelly, and Mammoliti, lost their seats.
In Carroll's case, she left her role back in early 2018 to run provincially for the Liberals in Don Valley North. After losing that race, she ran again for city hall in Ward 17 and won back her seat on council.
In response to a request for comment from CBC Toronto, a spokesperson from Carroll's office noted each councillor is only eligible to receive a severance payment from city hall once.
"This means Councillor Carroll will never receive a severance payment again," Ani Dergalstanian wrote.
Next highest on the list was Chin Lee, with a payout of more than $108,000 after also leaving council to run provincially, and ultimately unsuccessfully, for the Liberals.
Six now-former councillors were given a severance payout of slightly more than $76,000, four got roughly $38,000 and a handful of others received payouts of roughly $16,000 or less for their shorter terms of service.
Multiple former councillors who received a severance package have since gone on to land other jobs, which city staff confirmed doesn't change their payout.
One of those, Mary-Margaret McMahon — who got around $76,000 after choosing not to run in 2018 — always maintained she would only serve two terms. She has since started working at Sidewalk Labs, the Alphabet-owned company striving to build a new, high-tech waterfront neighbourhood, as its director of community.
In total, all those severance packages add up to the highest amount paid following an election to any council formed since amalgamation.
Severance for councillors 'troublesome,' lawyer says
Labour laywer Sunira Chaudhri, a partner at Levitt LLP, called this year's massive payout "troublesome."
"Taxpayers are going to be on the hook for this big bill. And should they be?" she asked in an interview with CBC Toronto.
Currently, according to the Toronto municipal code, any councillor who served for at least 30 days gets paid severance after leaving council, which is based on their time in office.
Comparing it to the private sector, Chaudhri stressed that fixed-term contracts typically don't come with extra cash when they're over, and suggested political terms could be looked at the same way.
She also questioned why councillors get a payout when they don't seek re-election.
"If you decide not to run, effectively, you're quitting your job," she said. "And when you quit your job anywhere else — whether you're unionized or non-unionized, private sector or public sector — you're entitled to a big fat zero."
However, she said given the timing of this big payout, following the province's council cuts, there may be more public "sympathy" for the former councillors who cashed in.
Speaking to the media on Thursday, Mayor John Tory said this year's severance package needs to be put in that context, given the drop from the previous 44 councillors to the current 25.
"This time, we had a particularly large number of turnovers," Tory said, adding he expects the total payout should go down in the years ahead, thanks to the smaller council size.
He also said that, while it's a system put in place long before his time in office, the current city council could decide to review the policy.
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