Alderman earn $96,940 annually, each had a $145,385 budget last year to spend on travel, courses, business expenses and assistants' salaries:
http://www.calgaryherald.com/sports/...991/story.html
On the one hand, a lot of these expenditures cited by the news are no big deal and I don't really care. On the other hand, I know a lot of people who need to wear suits every day and earn less than an Alderman but have to pay for their own drycleaning.