How much should a county councillor be paid? Ask some councillors, and the answer is more than the current amount. Others say the issue is one of pay equity between municipalities.
The issue has prompted some discussion among council, with the possibility of a raise being mulled over.
Even with that raise, it’s possible that the county’s elected officials will still be paid less than other municipal officials. It was that inequality that prompted council to request Russ Farmer and Associates – the consulting firm hired to do the county’s organizational review – to research council’s pay in comparison to other municipalities.
After preliminary discussions, and after the budget was approved, Mayor Peter Kirylchuk said a raise seemed possible.
“It appears the majority of council are in favour of it,” he said. Council has not had a pay increase in the past three years.
A decision on how much to increase councillor wages will be made after the organizational review is presented to council, but there’s more to it than just what other municipalities are doing, said they mayor. It’s also about getting local people interested in municipal politics, and making the job financially worthwhile.
“I think we need to keep in mind that we want to attract people who will be dedicated and interested in doing the job as councillor,” he said.
For Coun John Nowak, the issue is one of being fairly compensated for the work he is doing. Being a councillor shouldn’t be a job only for retired people, he said, noting that he loses wages from his job each time he attends a meeting, and other working people may also see the low pay (councillors earn about $25,000 per year for their civic duties) as a stumbling block when contemplating running for council.
To have a council of varied background and experience may mean increasing the pay to attract a broader selection of candidates, he said, adding that the comparison of other municipal politician’s salaries will help determine a fair rate.
The mayor sees the issue as being one of equality as well as competitiveness.
“I think councillors need to receive a wage comparable to other municipalities,” he said.
The details of whether council will receive a wage increase, and how much it will be, are expected to be decided upon at an upcoming meeting.
