December 24, 2014

Good Guys create $500 fund

As published in The Erin Advocate

Members of Erin Town Council will each chip in $100 of their own money for a Good Guys Fund. It will help deal with minor cost issues that are presented to them, but which do not qualify for normal Town funding.

Councillor Jeff Duncan said it is a revival of an idea used by the former Erin Village council to deal with “worthy” endeavours in need of support. “It would not impact the Town,” he said, at the December 16 meeting.

Later in the meeting, councillors considered a motion to accept a tax exemption on one third of their salaries. This is “deemed to be expenses incidental to the discharge of their duties”.

Under a new system approved by the previous council, members earn $15,600 and the mayor $26,000, plus other eligible expenses. The one third tax exemption allowed on federal and provincial taxes is at no cost to the Town. Members only have to vote to accept it, which they did unanimously.

“I didn’t think there’d be a problem with that one,” said Als.