North Okanagan Regional District directors are unwilling to budge from a hefty pay hike. Few directors were willing Wednesday to accept recommendations from the City of Vernon that each jurisdiction pay for their own representative instead of NORD covering the cost. “We sit here independently,” said Lorna Bissell, the director from Spallumcheen.
The city made the recommendation because of concerns over recent increases to NORD remuneration. On Aug. 8, NORD increased the base salary for the eight municipal directors from $1,523 to $6,240 a year, and the salary for the five electoral area directors from $5,994 to $6,240.
Juliette Cunningham, a Vernon director, once again expressed opposition to the increase Wednesday. “I’m getting paid as much to be a regional district director as I am a city councillor,” she said. “I’ve heard this is what other regional districts get paid but that doesn’t mean it’s right.”But Bissell stated that directors represent the region around the board table, not their individual municipalities. She added that she spends twice as much time on NORD business as she does for Spallumcheen council. Earl Shipmaker, Enderby’s alternate director, expressed concern that the prospect of a wage increase didn’t go before his council for consideration before the regional district took action. “We didn’t know anything about it until the motion was presented,” he said. But Lumby director Eric Foster pointed out that Enderby has representation on the regional board and committees. “It’s been in the paper and at several board meetings,” he said. Jerry Oglow, NORD chairman, believes Vernon’s recommendation could be considered as part of a review of the district’s governance service.
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