2014-2018 City Council Handbook
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2014 - 2018 CITY COUNCIL HANDBOOK VOLUME 1: OPERATIONS Message from the City Clerk I am pleased to present Members of Council with the City Council Handbook for the 2014-2018 term of Council. The handbook has been diligently compiled to provide you with key information that you will need throughout the term. The handbook is divided into three volumes.The first volume provides information on the day-to-day operations of your office. Volume two describes the decision-making process of Council and its Committees. Finally, in the third volume, the City's accountability officers outline the accountability, integrity and transparency framework that governs the City. The content of volume 1, including direct links to the cited forms and policies, are on the City's intranet Resources for City Councillors website at http://insideto.toronto.ca/ councillors/. I encourage you to turn to this site for information, as my team keeps it current as things change throughout the term. Please check www.toronto.ca/council for up-to-date information on Council and Committee agendas, minutes and other City decision documents. The City Clerk's Office takes pride in the excellent service we provide to Members and is committed to continuous service improvement. Please contact me anytime with your questions, concerns and ideas on how my office can make sure your needs are met in the best possible manner. I hope you find this handbook helpful and look forward to working with you in the new term. E Ulli S. Watkiss City Clerk 416-392-8010 [email protected] THE ROLE OF THE CITY CLERK The City Clerk is an independent officer of the City of Toronto with duties defined in more than 60 pieces of provincial legislation, either directly or indirectly through delegation by Council. The City Clerk is appointed by City Council and reports to Council for statutory responsibilities and to the City Manager for administrative purposes. The mission of the City Clerk's Office is to build public trust and confidence in local government. The City Clerk's Office provides the foundation for municipal government in Toronto, through three service areas: Elect Government, Make Government Work, and Open Government. Duties under these service areas include: Elect Government • Fulfilling the duties of Clerk under the Municipal Elections Act by ensuring election readiness at all times, conducting elections, by-elections and referendums as required, managing financial filing of candidates including supporting the compliance audit process and administering the contribution rebate program. Make Government Work • Supporting Council's decision-making processes including organizing meetings of Council and Committees, providing procedural advice, managing public appointments, issuing statutory notices and processing Ontario Municipal Board (OMB) appeals. • Assisting the Mayor and Councillors in carrying out their ceremonial and civic duties and providing overall leadership and direction in all aspects of the City's protocol function. • Serving the public in provincially-mandated areas, such as access to the assessment rolls, issuing marriage licenses, burial permits and lottery licenses and administering charitable gaming licenses. • Providing administrative, budget and business support to Members of Council and the Integrity Commissioner, Lobbyist Registrar and the Ombudsman. Open Government • Providing corporate information management services that promote open government through policies, programs and standards, ensure access to City information in all formats through the information lifecycle and provide information production services such as design, print and mail. YOUR CITY CLERK'S OFFICE SUPPORT Different City Clerk's Office business units provide support to Members of Council. The details of their support are provided in Volume 1 and 2 of the City Council Handbook and summarized below: Council and Support Services provides operational support to Members of Council. Details are contained throughout volume one of this handbook. Council Service Representative Each Councillor is assigned a Council Service Representative (CSR) by Council and Support Services. CSRs provide support in all administration areas, including budgeting, purchasing, payroll, human resources and inventory. Where there is no contact information provided in this Handbook, please contact your Council Service Representative for assistance. Staff assignments will be circulated after the election. Your Council Service Representative will also be in contact with your office directly. City Clerk's Office I.T. Team The City Clerk's Office I.T. Team provide desktop support and support for all computer software, hardware, wireless devices and telephones. Details are provided in volume one, section 6. Information and Technology Resources of this Handbook. Corporate Information Management Services provide support and information related to records management, privacy of records, Freedom of Information requests, printing, copying and mail services. Details can be found in volume one, section 5. Running Your Office of this handbook. Protocol Services provide support on official events and congratulatory documents for your constituents. Details can be found in volume one, section 8. Supporting Your Constituents of this handbook. Secretariat staff manage Council, Committee and Community Council meetings as well as Member Appointments . Their support is detailed in volume two of this handbook. Please refer to the Main Contacts section of volume one of this handbook for names and contact information. TABLE OF CONTENTS VOLUME 1: OPERATIONS GLOSSARY ............................................................................................. XI MAIN CONTACTS ................................................................................ XVII INDEX .................................................................................................... XIX 1 YOUR SALARY AND BENEFITS .......................................................1 1.1 SALARIES........................................................................................1 1.1.1 Elected Officials Self Service (ESS) Portal .........................2 1.1.2 Keeping your personal information up to date .....................3 1.1.3 Donating your salary ...........................................................3 1.2 BENEFITS........................................................................................4 1.2.1 Severance ...........................................................................7 1.2.2 Using your security access ID to access City facilities, including TTC ................................................................................9 1.3 PENSION (OMERS) ...................................................................... 11 1.4 CANADA REVENUE AGENCY T2200 FORM ....................................... 12 1.5 WSIB COVERAGE .......................................................................... 13 1.6 LETTER PROVIDING PROOF OF EMPLOYMENT .................................... 14 APPENDICES 1 1A Municipal Code Chapter 223 1B May 2014 Council decision - Elected Officials' Compensation Survey report 2 YOUR BUDGETS .............................................................................. 15 2.1 CONSTITUENCY SERVICES AND OFFICE BUDGET .............................. 16 2.2 COUNCIL GENERAL EXPENSE BUDGET ............................................ 18 2.2.1 Constituency office expenses ........................................... 18 2.2.2 Newsletter entitlement ....................................................... 19 TABLE OF CONTENTS i 2.2.3 Legal fees ......................................................................... 19 2.2.4 Mobile devices and tablets ............................................... 20 2.2.5 Entitlement related to the requirements of the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005 (AODA) ....................... 21 2.3 COUNCIL BUSINESS TRAVEL BUDGET ............................................. 21 2.4 COUNCILLOR STAFFING BUDGET .................................................... 24 2.4.1 Staff salaries ..................................................................... 24 2.4.2 Staffing reports and forecasting ........................................ 25 2.4.3 Staff Replacement Budget................................................ 25 2.5 TRACKING AND DISCLOSURE OF EXPENSES ..................................... 26 2.5.1 Tracking of expenses (Dashboard) .................................. 26 2.5.2 Disclosure of expenses .................................................... 27 2.6 GIFTS AND BENEFITS ..................................................................... 28 2.6.1 Council Member-Organized Community Events Policy .... 29 2.6.2 Travel paid by a third party ............................................... 32 APPENDICES 2 2A Constituency Services and Office Budget Policy 2B Delegation of Signing Authority Form 2C 2014 and 2015 Newsletter Entitlement Calculation 2D Councillor Expense Dashboard Authorization Form 2E Council Member-Organized Community Events Policy 2F Joint Interpretation Bulletin - Lobbying and Donations to Council Member-Organized Community Events (June 2011) 2G Memorandum - Donations to Council Member-Organized Community Events -Procedures and FAQ's (June 2009) 2H Travel Declaration Form (for travel costs provided by a third party) ii TABLE OF CONTENTS 3 YOUR STAFF .................................................................................... 35 3.1 HUMAN RESOURCES MANAGEMENT AND