BANFF – A Banff councillor was unsuccessful in getting booze banned as a council travel expense.
The current travel expenses policy is silent on expensing alcohol with lunch and dinner, but Coun. Ted Christensen doesn’t want tax dollars paying for alcohol.
“I don’t believe alcohol should be included in the meal costs,” he said during the Jan. 9 council meeting.
In the neighbouring municipality of Canmore, expensing alcohol is not permitted under the employment-related allowances and reimbursement policy. In Banff, alcohol is not listed under the policy’s non-compensated items.
Christensen got support from Coun. Hugh Pettigrew on a ban on expensing booze, but the rest of council wasn’t interested in mulling over the idea at this point in time. Coun. Barb Pelham was absent from the meeting.
Mayor Corrie DiManno said she believes the decision should rest with the public council remuneration review committee, scheduled to meet in 2025 ahead of the next municipal election.
“It’s always been there, I don’t think it’s being taken advantage of or anything like that,” she said.
“For me, I am OK leaving it in, I am also OK taking it out… it’s just an awkward place to be in when you’re making decisions about your own reimbursement.”
Pettigrew, who was a public member of the 2021 remuneration review committee, said it is time for a change.
“There’s very few, if any, that I’ve ever known that have approved alcohol. I think it’s time to change that up,” he said.
The purpose of the policy, which was last reviewed in 2016, is to establish guidelines for employees and council members authorized to travel on Town of Banff business.
It allows for reimbursements of approved expenditures while travelling on official municipal business, including performing job duties, attending conferences, conventions, training, and meetings.
Under the updated policy, approved by council on Jan. 9, the reimbursement amounts for meals increased, jumping from $25 to $30 for breakfast, from $30 to $35 for lunch, and from $45 to $55 for dinner.
The reimbursement amounts for meals were inflated using the compounded Alberta consumer price index from 2017-23 and rounded to the nearest $5.
“Probably the most substantial change to the policy is just an update on reimbursement for meals … and those all include gratuities as well as top of the meals,” said Chris Hughes, the director of corporate services for the Town of Banff.
Aside from meal costs, the Town of Banff will reimburse expenses with receipts for registration costs, economy class airfares; train or bus tickets required for travel, or if estimated costs are expected to be less, a rental car for travel to and from and within the destination; airport fees; travel insurance; taxi fares and associated gratuities; parking; and any other minor miscellaneous expenses such as hotel gratuities or public transportation costs.
Non-compensated items include entertainment; upgrades to higher classes of air travel; fines for traffic or parking violations; personal items including clothing and toiletries; and additional expenses related to travelling with a spouse or other guests, except when authorized by the council remuneration policy.
