TNRD vice chair tops board’s expenses list
NEWS/ TNRD — The vice chair of the Thompson-Nicola Regional District tallied up the highest expenses among 27 board members last year.
TNRD Vice Chair Willow Macdonald.
Willow Macdonald, who represents the Blue River-Avola electoral area (B), was paid $18,931 in addition to $28,445 in stipend for the year ending Dec. 31, 2013. A report on expenses and remuneration for all regional directors and their alternates was released today (Thursday).
Macdonald said the distance between the area she represents and the TNRD’s headquarters in Kamloops accounts for her high expenses.
Next highest was Wells Grey (Area A) director Tim Pennell, who received $16,590 in expenses plus remuneration of $27,903. Then came Bonaparte Plateau (Area E) director Sally Watson, who expensed $11,237 plus $27,895 in remuneration.
In fourth place was Steven Rice of Walhachin-Cache Creek-Lytton (Area I) with $10,851 on top of his $24,873 remuneration. Ken Gillis of Barnhartvale-Pritchard-Turtle Valley (Area L) expensed $9,778 in addition to $24,963 remuneration.
ArmchairMayor.ca 
I direct the following questions to no-one in particular – just to point out that there must be reasonable answers somewhere.
Who decides what TNRD Board members are paid? Who decides what they do to earn their standard remuneration, the amount of which suggests at least half-time full employment with specialized expertise? Are additional expenses submitted and itemized, via receipts, for public scrutiny? Does the TNRD Board have an upper limit set for these expenses? If so, what is it – if not, why not? Do they set it themselves?
Presumably these expenses are for travel to attend “in-service” conferences by plane, helicopter and/or private automobile, as well as mileage to and from local meetings. What else?
Is it not, as a case in point, ridiculous that Willow McDonald could, should, or be able to spend over $1500.00 a month, for a whole year to do,what she is, arguably, already partially paid to do. It’s a fair guess that she must often travel to and from Kamloops by small plane to incur such expenses If she lives in Kamloops, it is even worse,
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