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HomeMy WebLinkAbout6.3 Report 24-045 Amendments to Policy P.005.GOV Board Member Expenses and Support Services.pdfAD HOC POLICY COMMITTEE 04 April 2024 Report No.24-045 REVISIONS TO POLICY P.005.GOV BOARD MEMBER AND STUDENT TRUSTEE EXPENSES AND SUPPORT SERVICES Key Contact:Michele Giroux,Executive Officer of Corporate Services, Ext:8310 PURPOSE: 1.To seek input on the proposed revisions to Policy P.005.GOV -Board Member and Student Trustee Expenses and Support Services. STRATEGIC LINKS 2.The proposed updates have been developed in alignment with the Board’s commitment to Responsible Resource Use,intending to improve overall governance and decision making of the OCDSB and enhance our ability to achieve the objectives of the 2023-2027 Strategic Plan. CONTEXT: 3.This policy has been revised several times since its inception in 1998 with the majority of changes made in 2010 owing to the release of the Ministry of Education Memorandum 2009:B8 and the associated Trustee Expenditure Guideline.More recent updates include provisions for limiting the carry forward amount and an adjustment to the timeline for expenditures incurred in an election year to reflect changes to the timing of municipal elections. At the 07 December 2023 Board meeting,the following motion was passed: Trustee Lynn Scott has given notice that she will move as follows at the Ad Hoc Policy Committee,in keeping with section 12.9 of the Board’s By-Laws and Standing Rules: THAT Staff bring forward Policy P.005.GOV Board Member and Student Trustee Expenses and Support Services for review by the Ad Hoc Policy Committee and consideration of the following possible amendments: Appendix A is a draft of Policy P.005.GOV Board Member and Student Trustee Expenses and Support Services that incorporate the suggested language and formatting (identified in yellow). KEY CONSIDERATIONS: 4.Carry Forward Analysis The current annual budget allocation for trustees and student trustees has remained stagnant at $8500 for a decade,despite a significant increase in the expenses generally charged against trustee budgets.However,in 2019,the Board amended section 2.13 of the policy to limit the carry-forward amount to $2500, whereas previously,trustees could carry forward any unspent amount.On average, a majority of trustees opt to carry forward their unspent amounts,which generally supports their attendance at conferences or other professional learning opportunities.Considering the reasonable overall budget amount,it is recommended that a carry-forward option should remain available.It is important to note that the August 31 deadline for submission of requests for carry-forward funds should be strictly adhered to.Trustees who fail to submit their request by this date will be ineligible to carry forward any funds. 5.Key Changes Section Revision Throughout the policy Implementing the new policy template approved by the Board. Updating to gender-neutral language and revising organization names and titles to align with current references. Where appropriate,updating references of “Trustee”to “member”to reflect that budget amounts connect to the role of the Trustee and not the Trustee as an individual. Section 2.18 Clarifying timelines and expenditure amounts for Trustees during a municipal election year. Section 2.23 Clarifying ineligible expenses. Section 2.24 New section to discourage self-promotion by defining it and making it an ineligible expense. Definitions Updating the definition of “Student Trustee”to a plural noun and adding the newly-approved Indigenous Student Trustee. RESOURCE IMPLICATIONS: 6.There are no direct financial costs or human resource implications to the proposed changes to the policy.By setting criteria,specific controls and oversight mechanisms,the policy helps to protect district resources while promoting responsible stewardship and effective governance practice. COMMUNICATION/CONSULTATION ISSUES: 7.As a Tier 2 Policy Review,the proposed draft will be posted to the District’s new Engage OCDSB platform that is available through the District’s website and awareness will be raised on this consultation through parent/guardian,student,and school council communications.Feedback from the public will be received between 29 March and 29 April 2024,and incorporated into a final draft of the policy that will be presented to the Ad Hoc Policy Committee on 2 May 2024 for approval. GUIDING QUESTIONS: ●Does the policy reflect the values of equity,inclusion and accessibility; community building;responsible resource use and leadership development? ●Are there further amendments that would help better align the policy with strategic and financial goals? APPENDICES Appendix A:Draft revised Policy P.005.GOV Board Member and Student Trustee Expenses and Support Services Appendix B:Standing Policy P.005.GOV Board Member and Student Trustee Expenses POLICY P.005.GOV TITLE:BOARD MEMBER AND STUDENT TRUSTEE EXPENSES AND SUPPORT SERVICES Date Authorized:30 January 1998 Last Revised:XXXXXXX Last Reviewed:XXXXXXX COMMITMENT TO INDIGENOUS RIGHTS,HUMAN RIGHTS,AND EQUITY The Board recognizes its responsibility to ensure that OCDSB policies and procedures promote and protect Indigenous,equity,and human rights and to seek to address and eliminate racism and structural and systemic barriers for students,staff,and community. 1.0 RATIONALE This policy was developed in support of legislative requirements under subsections 191.2 of the Education Act which authorizes the Board to develop policies: 1.1 To provide Board members and student trustees with resources to enable them to fulfill their corporate and constituency responsibilities. 1.2 To enable Board members and student trustees to claim reasonable expenses he/she they incurred while carrying out their duties as a member of the Board for such items as professional development,communications,office supplies and services,hospitality and business travel. 2.0 POLICY 2.1 Board members and student trustees shall be provided with reasonable levels of staff support through Board Services for handling correspondence;preparing notices of motions or recommendations to the Board and/or its committees;research into previous Board discussions,positions or resolutions;making arrangements for travel on Board business or for purposes of professional development;small-scale photocopying and postal services;and any other reasonable support to enable them to carry out their normal duties and responsibilities as Board members and student trustees. a)Staff research in support of proposed notices of motions or recommendations is limited to materials already on file,except as the Board may otherwise direct. b)Surveys or communications to be distributed via students or staff shall only be undertaken under approved procedures,and not on behalf of individual Board -1 -P.005.GOV members or student trustees. 2.2 The Board shall set aside annually a budget allocation for each member of the Board member position and student trustee position to cover expenses incurred by the member incumbent while carrying out his/her their duties as a member of the Board member or student trustee.This amount shall be equal for each member of the Board member position and student trustee position. 2.3 Each Board member and student trustee shall have the discretion to use these funds to cover the reasonable costs of professional development,constituency communications, business travel,office supplies,business services and hospitality expenses incurred by the member while carrying out his/her their duties as an elected representative. 2.4 Costs incurred by a Board member or student trustee for mileage,taxi,parking and for long distance shall be charged against a central account and not against the individual Board member allocation. 2.5 Board members and student trustees who attend conferences,annual general meetings,meetings of other organizations,etc.,as appointed representatives on behalf of the Board or representing the Board Chair shall have their expenses reimbursed centrally and not charged against individual Board member or student trustee expense allocations. 2.6 Where a trustee sits as a Director of the Ontario Public School Boards’Association (OPSBA)or where a student trustee sits as a Director of the Ontario Student Trustees’ Association (OSTA-AECO),travel to a Director ’s meeting or to the Annual General Meeting of OPSBA or OSTA-AECO will be considered as travel on official Board business and not charged to the individual Board member or student trustee account. 2.7 Board members and student trustees must submit an expense claim or original invoice in order to be reimbursed for any expenses incurred.Expense claims and original invoices must be submitted in the budget year the expense was incurred in accordance with the financial reporting requirements of the Board. 2.8 The Chair of the Board,or designate,and the Manager of Board Services shall certify that the individual trustee,student trustee,and Director of Education’s expense claims meet the requirements of Board policy and are directly related to their role as elected officials,and authorize the payment of the claim. 2.9 If there is a dispute about the eligibility of an expense,a member may appeal the decision through a Notice of Motion to the Audit Committee,outlining the issue,reasons for the expense,and the basis for the appeal. -2 -P.005.GOV 2.10 The Chief Financial Officer Associate Director of Business Operations shall certify the Chair of the Board’s expense claim meets the requirements of Board policy and is directly related to their role as an elected official,to the Director of Education,and the Director of Education shall recommend for payment. 2.11 The Chair of the Board,or designate and the Director of Education,or designate shall certify all expenses incurred under the Board Development Fund. 2.12 With the approval of the Board,any deficits resulting from expenditures which exceed individual Board member allocation under this policy may be carried forward and deducted from the individual trustee budget of the following school year. Notwithstanding the above,in the last year of the term of office,the Board member shall repay any deficit that remains. 2.13 The Board may authorize,before 31 August in any year,the carryforward of unspent funds,not to exceed $2,500,in Board members’individual accounts under this policy upon submission of written requests from individual trustees outlining the rationale for such carryforward,save that,in an election year,any such funds carried forward must be used prior to the end of the Board’s term of office.Student trustees are not able to incur a deficit and are not eligible to carry forward budget funds. 2.14 In the fall of each year,a report detailing the expenses charged against Board member and student trustee accounts in the preceding fiscal year shall be filed with the Board in open public session for each member of the Board,and for the Board Development Fund.Such reports shall clearly identify the nature of the expenses and the total amount spent. 2.15 Board members and student trustees shall be provided on request with such additional office equipment (computer,printer)and office furnishings in accordance with Board standards as may reasonably be required to enable them to carry out their normal duties and responsibilities from a home office. 2.16 The costs of office equipment shall be funded centrally and not from the individual Board member account,except that where the equipment exceeds the standard board issue,the costs differential between the standard board issue and the equipment requested will be funded through the individual budget allocation. 2.17 Board members and student trustees shall be reimbursed at the approved mileage rate for travel within the area of jurisdiction of the Ottawa-Carleton District School Board to attend meetings of the Board or its committees or related activities,to visit schools and/or to attend meetings with school councils,or to attend to similar constituency affairs.Additional expenses associated with such travel shall also be reimbursed within approved levels and in accordance with the relevant Board policies. -3 -P.005.GOV 2.18 For the fiscal year in which a municipal election occurs,funding available for individual Board members and for the Board Development Fund shall be pro-rated for the period from 1 September to the end of the Board’s term of office,(14 November)and from the beginning of the new Board’s term of office to 31 August of the following year (15 November);during the period from 1 September to the end of the Board’s term of office (14 November),permissible expenditures by an incumbent Board member and permissible expenditures from the Board Development Fund shall not exceed twenty percent (20%)of the total of the annual budget allocation plus any carryforward from the previous fiscal year. 2.19 Any furnishings and equipment provided under this policy remain the property of the Board,to be returned at the end of the member’s or student trustee’s term or terms of office.Board members may request to purchase such furnishings and/or equipment.If their request is approved by the Director of Education they would be charged the fair market value costs as determined by the Director of Education. 2.20 Board members and student trustees shall not use their individual budget allocations to cover expenses such as legal fees,accounting fees,insurance premiums or other administrative or professional fees or expenses for personal or business services related to the business of the Board. 2.21 Any Board member or student trustee having specific accommodation needs to carry out their duties may request to charge associated costs to meet those needs to the Board’s central account. 2.22 No expenses related to a municipal or student election campaign or any electoral costs shall be charged to any Board account. 2.23 Board members and student trustees shall not use their member budget to purchase, donate,or gift items or services donate funds or gifts from their individual budget allocations to community groups,charities,schools,school councils,political campaigns or political parties purchased with funds from the annual budget allocations for their positions to any organizations or individuals,including community groups,charities, schools,school councils,students,student organizations,political campaigns or political parties. 2.24 Board members and student trustees shall not use their budget allocation for self-promotion.Self-promotion includes: a)advertising for personal financial gain; b)the production and distribution of novelty items which contain the Board member ’s name (e.g.,personalized pens,pencils,magnets,keychains,banners, signs,plaques,balloons,etc.);and -4 -P.005.GOV c)public communications that contain only Board member identifiers or contact information without any substantive information (e.g.,details about the operations of the OCDSB,its programs,upcoming special events,new OCDSB initiatives). Business cards and newsletters are not considered to be self-promotion. 2.25 The Director of Education is authorized to issue such procedures as may be necessary to implement this policy. 3.0 APPENDICES Appendix A:Policy Definitions 4.0 REFERENCE DOCUMENTS Education Act,R.S.O.1998,§191.2 Ontario Regulation 7/07,§4 Broader Public Sector Expenses Directive OCDSB Policy P.017.GOV Student Trustees OCDSB Policy P.003.GOV Board Member And Student Trustee Professional Development And Constituency Communications OCDSB Policy P.039.FIN:Expense Policy OCDSB Policy P.122.GOV Election Activities OCDSB Procedure PR.529.FIN:Expense Procedure OCDSB Procedure PR.503.GOV:Trustee Expenses for Professional Development, Constituency Communications and Support Services -5 -P.005.GOV APPENDIX A:POLICY DEFINITIONS In this policy, Board means the Board of Trustees of the Ottawa-Carleton District School Board. Board Member means a member of the Board elected or appointed in accordance with the Municipal Elections Act and the Education Act. District means the Ottawa-Carleton District School Board (OCDSB). Student trustee means an elected student representative to the Board.Student trustees are elected by the Student Senate and Student Presidents’Council to represent the interests of students on the Board.Student Trustees means the three elected student representatives to the Board,including one Indigenous Student Trustee and two Student Trustees who represent all pupils of the District. Trustee means a member of the Board elected or appointed in accordance with the Ontario Municipal Elections Act and the Ontario Education Act. -6 -P.005.GOV POLICY P.005.GOV TITLE:BOARD MEMBER AND STUDENT TRUSTEE EXPENSES AND SUPPORT SERVICES Date Authorized:30 January 1998 Last Revised:06 September 2022 Last Reviewed:06 September 2022 COMMITMENT TO INDIGENOUS, EQUITY, AND HUMAN RIGHTS The Board recognizes its responsibility to ensure that OCDSB policies and procedures promote and protect Indigenous, equity, and human rights and to seek to address and eliminate racism and structural and systemic barriers for students, staff, and community. 1.0 RATIONALE This policy was developed in support of legislative requirements under subsections 191.2 of the Education Act which authorizes the Board to develop policies: 1.1 To provide Board members and student trustees with resources to enable them to fulfill their corporate and constituency responsibilities. 1.2 To enable Board members and student trustees to claim reasonable expenses he/she incurred while carrying out their duties as a member of the Board for such items as professional development, communications, office supplies and services, hospitality and business travel. 2.0 POLICY 2.1 Board members and student trustees shall be provided with reasonable levels of staff support through Board Services for handling correspondence; preparing notices of motions or recommendations to the Board and/or its committees; research into previous Board discussions, positions or resolutions; making arrangements for travel on Board business or for purposes of professional development; small-scale photocopying and postal services; and any other reasonable support to enable them to carry out their normal duties and responsibilities as Board members and student trustees. a)Staff research in support of proposed notices of motions or recommendations is limited to materials already on file, except as the Board may otherwise direct. b)Surveys or communications to be distributed via students or staff shall only be undertaken under approved procedures, and not on behalf of individual Board members or student trustees. -1 -P.005.GOV 2.2 The Board shall set aside annually a budget allocation for each member of the Board and student trustee to cover expenses incurred by the member while carrying out his/her duties as a member of the Board. This amount shall be equal for each member of the Board and student trustee. 2.3 Each Board member and student trustee shall have the discretion to use these funds to cover the reasonable costs of professional development, constituency communications, business travel, office supplies, business services and hospitality expenses incurred by the member while carrying out his or her duties as an elected representative. 2.4 Costs incurred by a Board member or student trustee for mileage, taxi, parking and for long distance shall be charged against a central account and not against the individual Board member allocation. 2.5 Board members and student trustees who attend conferences, annual general meetings, meetings of other organizations, etc., as appointed representatives on behalf of the Board or representing the Board Chair shall have their expenses reimbursed centrally and not charged against individual Board member or student trustee expense allocations. 2.6 Where a trustee sits as a Director of OPSBA or where a student trustee sits as a Director of OSTA-AECO, travel to a Director ’s meeting or to the Annual General Meeting of OPSBA or OSTA-AECO will be considered as travel on official Board business and not charged to the individual Board member or student trustee account. 2.7 Board members and student trustees must submit an expense claim or original invoice in order to be reimbursed for any expenses incurred. Expense claims and original invoices must be submitted in the budget year the expense was incurred in accordance with the financial reporting requirements of the Board. 2.8 The Chair of the Board, or designate, and the Manager of Board Services shall certify that the individual trustee, student trustee, and Director of Education’s expense claims meet the requirements of board policy and authorize the payment of the claim. 2.9 If there is a dispute about the eligibility of an expense, a member may appeal the decision through a Notice of Motion to the Audit Committee, outlining the issue, reasons for the expense, and the basis for the appeal. 2.10 The Chief Financial Officer shall certify the Chair of the Board’s expense claim meets the requirements of board policy to the Director of Education, and the Director of Education shall recommend for payment. 2.11 The Chair of the Board, or designate and the Director of Education, or designate shall certify all expenses incurred under the Board Development Fund. -2 -P.005.GOV 2.12 With the approval of the Board, any deficits resulting from expenditures which exceed individual Board member allocation under this policy may be carried forward and deducted from the individual trustee budget of the following school year. Notwithstanding the above, in the last year of the term of office, the Board member shall repay any deficit that remains. 2.13 The Board may authorize, before 31 August in any year, the carryforward of unspent funds, not to exceed $2,500, in Board members’ individual accounts under this policy upon submission of written requests from individual trustees outlining the rationale for such carryforward, save that, in an election year, any such funds carried forward must be used prior to the end of the Board’s term of office. Student trustees are not able to incur a deficit and are not eligible to carry forward budget funds. 2.14 In the fall of each year, a report detailing the expenses charged against Board member and student trustee accounts in the preceding fiscal year shall be filed with the Board in open public session for each member of the Board, and for the Board Development Fund. Such reports shall clearly identify the nature of the expenses and the total amount spent. 2.15 Board members and student trustees shall be provided on request with such additional office equipment (computer, printer) and office furnishings in accordance with Board standards as may reasonably be required to enable them to carry out their normal duties and responsibilities from a home office. 2.16 The costs of office equipment shall be funded centrally and not from the individual Board member account, except that where the equipment exceeds the standard board issue, the costs differential between the standard board issue and the equipment requested will be funded through the individua budget allocation. 2.17 Board members and student trustees shall be reimbursed at the approved mileage rate for travel within the area of jurisdiction of the Ottawa-Carleton District School Board to attend meetings of the Board or its committees or related activities, to visit schools and/or to attend meetings with school councils, or to attend to similar constituency affairs. Additional expenses associated with such travel shall also be reimbursed within approved levels and in accordance with the relevant Board policies. 2.18 For the fiscal year in which a municipal election occurs, funding available for individual Board members and for the Board Development Fund shall be pro-rated for the period from 1 September to the end of the Board’s term of office, (14 November) and from the beginning of the new Board’s term of office to 31 August of the following year ( 15 November); -3 -P.005.GOV 2.19 Any furnishings and equipment provided under this policy remain the property of the Board, to be returned at the end of the member ’s or student trustee’s term or terms of office. Board members wishing to purchase such furnishings and/or equipment would be charged the fair market value costs as determined by the Director of Education. 2.20 Board members and student trustees shall not use their individual budget allocations to cover expenses such as legal fees, accounting fees, insurance premiums or other administrative or professional fees or expenses for personal or business services related to the business of the Board. 2.21 Any Board member or student trustee having specific accommodation needs to carry out their duties may charge associated costs to meet those needs to the Board’s central account. 2.22 No expenses related to a municipal or student election campaign or any electoral costs shall be charged to any Board account. 2.23 Board members and student trustees shall not donate funds or gifts from their individual budget allocations to community groups, charities, schools, school councils, political campaigns or political parties. 2.24 The Director of Education is authorized to issue such procedures as may be necessary to implement this policy. 3.0 APPENDICES Appendix A: Policy Definitions 4.0 REFERENCE DOCUMENTS Education Act , R.S.O. 1998, § 191.2 Ontario Regulation 7/07, § 4 OCDSB Policy P.017.GOV Student Trustees OCDSB Policy P.003.GOV Board Member And Student Trustee Professional Development And Constituency Communications OCDSB Policy P.039.FIN: Expense Policy OCDSB Procedure PR.529.FIN: Expense Procedure OCDSB Procedure PR.503.GOV: Trustee Expenses for Professional Development, Constituency Communications and Support Services -4 -P.005.GOV Appendix A to Policy P.005.GOV POLICY DEFINITIONS Board means the Board of Trustees of the Ottawa-Carleton District School Board. Board Member means a member of the Board elected or appointed in accordance with the Municipal Elections Act and the Education Act. District means the Ottawa-Carleton District School Board (OCDSB). Student trustee means an elected student representative to the Board. Student trustees are elected by the Student Senate and Student Presidents’ Council to represent the interests of students on the Board. Trustee means a member of the Board elected or appointed in accordance with the Ontario Municipal Elections Act and the Ontario Education Act. -5 -P.005.GOV