At a regular council meeting on Jan. 24, Lac La Biche County Council discussed the current Councillor Remuneration policy. The policy dictates councillor and mayoral salaries and was approved by council on April 27 of last year. It is currently under review and revisions.
Prior to reviewing the policy, administration contracted the services of Western Management Consultants to perform a study of other elected officials’ pay. Their report was completed in December 2011 and compared the salaries of Lac La Biche County elected officials to that of 10 other municipalities.
The report recommended that council increase the base honorarium and per diems, the recommended base salary for the mayor be increased to $51,000; an increase to $28,000 for the deputy mayor; and $27,000 for councillors.
The report also recommended an increase for per diems to $100 for activities from zero to four hours and $200 for activities lasting four to eight hours.
Council reviewed the recommendations and determined that the policy needed revision and amendments were made: base salary for the Mayor to $47,000; $32,000 for the Deputy Mayor; and $27,000 for councillors. Also, per diems would increase to $125 for activities zero to four hours and $250 for activities four to eight hours.
At the meeting councillor Guy Piquette made a motion to table the issue at the moment due to a lack of a formal budget. Councillor Gail Broadbent countered, saying that she doesn’t understand why they have to wait until a budget is done, which doesn’t often get done until the fall.
Worth as much as other councillors
“Why aren’t we saying to the public that we are worth just as much as other councillors in the rest of the province?” Broadbent said.
“Just because the budget isn’t done doesn’t mean we need to be putting this off. We keep bringing things back but we need to move on regardless of a budget. We need to make more decisions.”
Councillors Alvin Kumpula and John Nowak were in agreement, especially Nowak who indicated that he works full time and has to take time out of his day job regularly so he can be at the council meetings and therefore increasing the pay councillors receive would ultimately be helpful.
“I have asked for council to make more meetings later in the day or on weekends and nothing has changed and I have to keep taking time out of my full-time job to come here to support the community,” Nowak said.
“I believe I have a lot to offer to council and Lac La Biche County, but I have a duty to bring money back to my family for food and shelter just like everyone else. It’s money I’m losing from taking time out of my day job.”
Nowak also noted that money had been put aside in previous budgets for this very reason and that it should be going ahead and not being held off. He added that the final decision on the valued amount for pay increases is more than fair and that hopefully it will entice people to get involved with council in the future.
“The amounts would put us more in line with other municipalities of the same size and structure,” Nowak said.
“I hope that more people my age step forward in the future who can’t get involved now because they don’t have the time and it’s not cost effective. I’d certainly like to see council be more attractive for people who do have to work.”
A motion was passed to defer the issue to further budget talks, despite some opposition.
Nowak said that council does have some budgetary meetings and discussion planned in the near future and he added that hopefully this gets resolved sooner rather than later.
The remuneration comparison estimates an additional $93,390.34 to accommodate the increased pays and per diems.
