Alex Nuttall racked up expenses of $37,033 in his first full year as Barrie mayor, including $3,616 for an Eye in the Sky wall mural in his city hall office, $2,713 for recreation centre passes in 2023 and $876 for an event to mark this council’s first year of being in office.
But Nuttall’s largest expense was $14,448 for newsletters, printing and postage, in 2023’s third and fourth quarters.
He also expensed $3,557 for miscellaneous costs, although the majority of it — $2,783 — was in the fourth quarter.
As Barrie mayor, Nuttall’s salary is $129,622, plus an annual car allowance of $6,600. He is also appointed by Barrie Hydro Holdings to the Alectra board of directors and paid $60,000 annually for that.
This adds up to $196,222 annually, plus expenses.
Council salaries and expenses are included in an annual document and the 2023 report was part of this week's circulation list.
Through an email exchange with BarrieToday, Nuttall explained and defended his expenses one-by-one.
“The referenced expenses are standard for a mayor's office,” he said. “I opt to publicly record these expenditures as a commitment to prioritizing transparency over the common practice of embedding them within larger office budgets, as seen in many other municipalities.
“The Eye in the Sky wall mural is a communications tool that serves as a medium to engage with residents via video across multiple digital platforms, including social media, the city’s corporate website and local media outlet interviews,” Nuttall added. “This mural will continue to be used for community engagement activities to portray Barrie in a positive light and facilitate ongoing interaction with the community in a professional manner.”
The mayor said recreation passes were provided to Barrie and District Christmas Cheer, and to youth and families who attended the Mayor’s New Year’s Eve Levee on Dec. 31, 2023.
In November 2023, Nuttall held an event to commemorate city council’s first year of inauguration. The $876 charge was for snacks and refreshments for 60 people, excluding alcohol.
“The miscellaneous expenses include a monthly Mailchimp subscription for the mayor’s newsletter, general office supplies, resident town hall meeting expenses, and branded City of Barrie merchandise that is given as gifts to visiting dignitaries, and to our student mayors,” he said.
Meanwhile, Barrie councillors are paid a salary of $42,541, plus a car allowance of $2,400 annually — except for Deputy Mayor Robert Thomson, whose salary is $50,558 plus a car allowance of $3,700 annually.
Last year, the salaries and car allowances for all 11 members council totalled $594,947.
Coun. Sergio Morales had the highest 2023 expenses, excepting Nuttall, and totalled $9,917, followed closely by Coun. Nigussie Nigussie at $9,620.
Next was Coun. Ann-Marie Kungl at $8,966, Coun. Gary Harvey at $8,529, Thomson, who is also Ward 5 councillor, at $7,007, Coun. Amy Courser at $6,325, Coun. Bryn Hamilton at $4,947, Coun. Clare Riepma at $3,985, Coun. Jim Harris at $3,740 and Coun. Craig Nixon at $1,073.
Councillors often expense their newsletters, their websites, town hall meetings, community events and some relating to other interests.
Kungl attended the Communities in Bloom National Symposium Sept. 27 to Oct. 1 in Fort McMurray, Alta., and expensed $2,102, along with a Barrie Baycats bus shuttle for $998.75 and $2,700 for recreation centre passes.
Thomson expensed $2,987 worth of fridge magnets, while Thomson, Nixon, Courser and Harris each expensed $500 to sponsor a poet laureate event and $254 for Christmas party photography was expensed by each of Nigussie, Thomson and Harvey.
Nigussie expensed $1,772 to attend the Mosaic Festival of Cultures June 1-3 in Regina, Sask., along with $3,413 for his newsletter, printing and postage.
Also for newsletters, printing and postage last year, Harvey expensed $5,014, Morales $4,773, Riepma $2,512 and Hamilton $1,655.
