New Westside Council will get raise

Castanet:
It will be up to the new Westside Council to determine how much it will receive in remuneration. At this week's Committee of the Whole meeting, Council approved a motion which would see the mayor and councillors paid according to the median paid to councils in six similarly-sized B.C. municipalities. The six communities include three with populations higher than Westside (Langley, Port Moody and North Cowichan) and three with lower populations (Penticton, Vernon and Campbell River). The average remuneration for the six municipalities is $56,325 for mayor and $20,101 for councillors. Currently, the Mayor of Westside receives $52,140 per year while each of the six Councillors is paid $19,166 per year. Staff will compile the figures in January and present them to council. Meantime, council will get an increase in per diem travel and mileage allowances. The new allowances take into account the rising costs of food and fuel and is based on comparisons with other similar sized B.C. municipalities. The new policy indicates a per diem amount for meals, mileage reimbursement rates and establishment of a reserve account for each council members. The reserve amount is added to council's indemnity at the beginning of each year and expenses are charged to those accounts. A full accounting of individual accounts and expenses will be made public. The mayor will receive an additional $1,520 with councillors getting $1,100 for expenses. That amount will be increased January 1, 2010 and each subsequent year based on changes to the B.C. Consumer Price Index.
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Don Quixote Note: Vernon advertised for member to be appointed to a remuneration committee to decide on Council stipends for the next incoming Council. No word on whether the committee was formed or the composition of the committee has escaped the DARKSIDE where this type of motion would normally have been declassified in an open Council meeting. It is wise that the membership of the committee is not declassified until its report is revealed in Public session to allow this committee to work without any outside pressure or influence.

Any results whether they are to bump remuneration UP or DOWN will be voted on by this Council but only accrue to the benefit of the next Council. There will be no retroactively.