Windsor councillors, mayor earn nearly $200K for sitting on boards

Windsor councillors and Mayor Drew Dilkens earned nearly $200,000 for sitting on various boards in 2016, with the bulk of that money coming from their work with EnWin and the Windsor Utilities Commission.

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Councillors divvied up a combined $112,265.89 in board payments — a total of $11,226.60 each, while Dilkens received $82,230.93. Councillors shared in nearly $90,000 from sitting on the boards of EnWin and WUC while Dilkens took home nearly $60,000.

Dilkens received $7,499.96 for sitting on the police services board; $9,149.92 for sitting on the Windsor Detroit Tunnel Corporation and $5,675.01 for sitting on the board at Windsor Airport. All told, Dilkens made $178,523.06 in 2016, including taxable benefits of $9,397.00.  About $56,000 of that was tax free under the Municipal Officers Expense Allowance provisions. 

Councillors pool the money they receive for sitting on boards. The total is added to their base salary of $28,770, a third of which is tax free. 

In addition to the utility payments, councillors split $9,133.26 for sitting on the board at Windsor Airport; $6,500 for sitting on the Windsor Police Services Board; $4,640 for sitting on the Essex Region Conservation Authority Board and $600 for sitting on the board of the Windsor Detroit Tunnel Commission.

The information on payments is provided in a breakdown of remuneration included in the council's agenda for April 10.

Board payments are paid quarterly, according to an explanation included in the agenda.