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Town of Mulgrave
Mayor & Council Travel Policy
Title:
1. This Policy is entitled the "Mayor & Council Travel Policy".
Purpose:
2. The purpose of this policy is to outline reasonable and appropriate reimbursement of travel
related expenditures incurred by the Mayor and Council when required to travel on Town of
Mulgrave related business.
.
Objectives:
3. The objectives of this policy are:
To identify circumstances that dictate Mayor and/or Council travel;
To identify travel expenses that will be eligible for reimbursement;
To set specific rates for and limits on reimbursable travel expenses; and
To establish procedures for authorization of travel and to claim travel expenses.
Policy:
4. It is the policy of the Town of Mulgrave to reimburse the Mayor and Councillors for travel for
the following purposes and in the following geographic areas:
Travel within the quad counties (Antigonish, Guysborough, Richmond and Inverness) for the
purpose of attending meetings of committees on which the Mayor or Councillor sits (for
example: the Eastern Regional Solid Waste Management Committee; the Police Advisory
Committee; the Eastern Counties Regional Library; Strait Area Mayors and Wardens
Committee; the Port Hawkesbury Airport Committee; and other committees, regional in nature,
for which a council representative is appointed). This travel is deemed approved by the fact of
committee membership;
Travel within the quad counties for the purpose of meeting with local government elected
officials, area businesses and not-for-profit organizations and associations to discuss issues of
mutual concern. This travel will be approved on a case-by-case basis by the CAO;
Travel within Nova Scotia to meet with Provincial and/or Federal government officials for the
purpose of discussing opportunities for the Town of Mulgrave or to advocate for policies and
decisions favorable to the Town of Mulgrave. This travel will generally be approved at Council
Town of Mulgrave Policy & Procedures Manual
Mayor & Council Travel Policy
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before it is undertaken, such that the Town representative(s) will be able to represent Council's
position on the issues. In exceptional or emergency circumstances, travel may be approved by
the CAO;
Travel related to training or educational workshops, seminars or courses specifically related to
the role of Mayor / Councillor or the work of a committee on which he/she sits;
Travel within Nova Scotia to attend meetings and conferences sponsored by the Nova Scotia
Federation of Municipalities (NSFM) and the Federation of Canadian Municipalities. It is the
policy of Council, when budget allows, to send two delegates to the spring and fall conferences
sponsored by the Nova Scotia Federation of Municipalities (NSFM). The delegates will consist
of the Mayor and one Councillor. Each Councillor will be given an opportunity to attend one
spring and one fall conference during his/her four-year term of office.
Mulgrave may send one delegate to other NSFM meetings, and in particular the Towns Caucus,
when the agenda indicates matters of concern to the Town will be discussed. The Mayor, as key
liaison with other levels of government and the NSFM, will attend these meetings, and in his/her
absence, the Deputy Mayor shall attend.
The Mayor or delegate may represent the Town of Mulgrave at the Annual Conference / Annual
General Meeting of the Federation of Canadian Municipalities if held outside Nova Scotia.
More than one delegate may be nominated if the meeting is held within Nova Scotia.
Travel Expenses and Allowance:
5. The following expenditures will be reimbursable by the Town provided the travel is in
accordance with this policy.
Use of Personal Vehicle
(a) Mileage (kilometers driven) shall be paid for personal motor vehicle use while on Town
business at the current rate approved by the Provincial Government as their policy for
allowances paid for travel in Nova Scotia.
(b) The Mayor and Councillors should endeavor to carpool when two or more members are
traveling to the same destination at the same time.
(c) For travel exceeding 300 kilometers, it may be more economical to rent a vehicle and when
this is the case, the cost of the rental and fuel will be reimbursed.
(d) Individuals claiming expenses for use of personal vehicles must provide the Town with a
copy of their insurance liability card on an annual basis.
Public Transportation & Taxis
(a) Individuals traveling on behalf of the Town of Mulgrave may choose to travel on public
transportation rather than by personal vehicle. The Town will reimburse bus fares for travel
taken within the province based on the presentation of a receipt.
(b)Taxi or other transportation services required to travel from place of accommodation to place
of business will be reimbursed. Receipts are required for taxi fares but not for local bus
transportation.
Town of Mulgrave Policy & Procedures Manual
Mayor & Council Travel Policy
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Meal Allowances
(a) When individuals travel on Town business, meals shall be reimbursed for only actual and
reasonable expenses incurred. Individuals must submit a receipt to be approved for payment.
(b) When meals at a conference, meeting or event are provided at no cost to participants or are
part of the registration package, individuals traveling on Town business cannot claim for the
meals provided.
(c) Breakfast may be claimed if an individual must travel before 7:30 am or is away from home
overnight; Lunch may be claimed if the individual is away from Mulgrave during the period 11
am to 1 pm, and dinner may be claimed if the individual cannot return to Mulgrave before 6 pm.
Accommodation
(a) Commercial - Individuals will be reimbursed for commercial accommodations for only the
actual and reasonable expenses incurred, which should be noted on a receipt.
When planning trips, Councillors or employees should normally stay at establishments offering
government rates. It is the responsibility of the individual to identify themselves as a government
employee to ensure the correct rate is applied.
(b) Personal expenditures - charges for items such as in-room movies and bar fridge charges,
will be paid by the individual.
Incidental and Miscellaneous Expenses
(a) An allowance for daily incidental expenses may be claimed by individuals when overnight
travel is involved. The incidental allowance is provided to cover personal expenses incurred,
such as laundry, due to travel. Incidentals will be reimbursed for only actual and reasonable costs
incurred when a receipt is provided.
(b) Miscellaneous expenses, such as parking and tolls are reimbursable upon presentation of
receipts. The cost of conference room rentals, equipment rentals and such costs necessary for
individuals to make presentations on behalf of the Town will be reimbursed upon presentation of
receipts.
(c) Registration expenses for conferences and seminars covered under this policy are
reimbursable on presentation of a receipt.
(d) Telephone and Internet expenses - Reimbursement will be made for telephone charges where
such charges are reasonable and for business purposes.
Entertainment
Reimbursement may be provided for reasonable costs incurred inside or outside Town to extend
the Town's hospitality and/or to entertain visiting delegates. In no circumstances will expenses
for alcohol be reimbursed.
Reimbursement & Receipts:
6. The following process must be followed to claim travel expenses:
(a) Travel expense claims must be filed with a completed Travel Expense Claim Form
(Appendix A).
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Mayor & Council Travel Policy
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(b) Reimbursement for travel must be verified with the signature of the individual, and final
approval given by the CAO prior to reimbursement.
(c) Unless otherwise noted, receipts which show HST if applicable, must be filed with the travel
claim.
Travel Advance
7. When out-of-pocket expenses are anticipated to exceed $200, an advance amounting to 75% of
the costs may be paid to the individual traveling on Town business.
Reporting Requirement
8. With the exception of travel described in section 4 as for the purpose of attending committee
meetings, each individual traveling on behalf of the Town of Mulgrave must present a brief
written report to Council describing the purpose of the trip and results achieved.
Certification for Town of Mulgrave Policy & Procedures Manual:
Date of notice to Council Members of Intent to Consider: April 7, 2025
Date of Passage of Current Policy: April 22, 2025
I certify that this Bylaw Development Policy was adopted by Council as indicated above.
____________________________ April 22, 2025
Municipal Clerk Date
Town of Mulgrave Policy & Procedures Manual
Mayor & Council Travel Policy
Page 5 of 5
Appendix A