Editor's note: A previous version of this article said Coun. Mike Devine attended both conferences. Additional information provided indicates he did not attend the AMO conference.
Sending city councillors and staff to two conferences in Calgary and Ottawa cost Cambridge taxpayers more than $50,000.
The total travel, meal, registration and accommodation expenses for councillors to attend the Federation of Canadian Municipalities annual conference in Calgary in June and the Association of Ontario Municipalities conference in Ottawa in August tops last year's expenses for all conferences, conventions and seminars by nearly $10,000.
In 2023 the total conferences, conventions, and seminars, of which the mayor and councillors are allowed to attend two a year, totalled $41,817 compared to $24,703 in 2022.
CambridgeToday sought details of the expenses through a freedom of information request.
Upon releasing the information, the city redacted details of the expenses citing Section 11 of the Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act, which exempts information that contains economic or other interests of an institution.
On the FCM's website, however, it lists registration for members at $1,295 each.
The councillors who attended both conferences included Sheri Roberts, Corey Kimpson, Nicholas Ermeta, Ross Earnshaw, Adam Cooper and Mayor Jan Liggett.
Coun. Helen Shwery only attended the AMO conference.
Coun. Scott Hamilton didn't attend either conference.
Coun. Mike Devine did not attend the AMO conference.
On her Instagram account back in June, Coun. Roberts praised the FCM for being "jam packed with learning and networking" opportunities.
"I’ve participated in lots of study tours exploring what Calgary has accomplished including a couple of innovative shelter spaces (an office reuse building for families and a massive Salvation Army shelter and supportive housing facility). Touring their brand new BMO Conference Centre gave me lots of inspiration as we move forward with some of our new facilities especially around accessibility and sustainability. They have also done a fantastic job at highlighting the beauty of the river running through their city."
Since detailed costs are redacted, the variables for each councillor are unknown.
Earnshaw submitted the highest total expenses for his attendance at both conferences at $6,830 while Devine only spent $3,548 total, including a $102 charge to cancel his attendance at the AMO; a detail that was redacted by the city but later confirmed.
One City of Cambridge staff member also attended each event.
Mayor and council administrative assistant Ana Djukic attended the AMO conference at a cost of $3,137, and Karen Pepper, the director of operations and initiatives for the mayor's office, attended the FCM conference at a cost of $3,714.
Spouses who attended with councillors were required to pay for expenses out of pocket.
