Richard Rolke - Vernon Morning Star Published: September 18, 2010 12:00 PM
Taxpayers won’t fund gifts for longtime North Okanagan Regional District directors. Board members have shot down a proposed policy that would have seen them presented with gifts worth a specific dollar value for years of service. “It’s great to get a pin but taxpayers shouldn’t buy you a $150 gift for 15 years,” said director Kevin Acton. “You get paid for going to meetings.”
The new policy dealt specifically with elected officials and it had proposed a gift of $50 for five years of service, $100 for 10 years, $150 for 15 years, $300 for 20 years, $375 for 25 years, $450 for 30 years and $525 for 35 years. NORD’s existing recognition policy, which also includes employees, calls for a director to be recognized by up to $10 a year for each year of five, 10 or 15 years of service. It increases to $15 a year for each year of 20, 25, 30 and 35 years of service.Staff confirms that the policy has been used in the past.
Director Jack Gilroy says any recognition policy is unacceptable, particularly when many residents are struggling financially and the district’s budget is tight. “How do you explain that to taxpayers?” he said of the proposal. Chairman Herman Halvorson insists the reason people run for office is to support their community. “We’re not doing it for the money or the recognition. We do it for the public,” he said. As a result of the board deciding it doesn’t want a recognition policy, there will be a recommendation Oct. 6 to rescind the current process.
2 comments:
When did Gilroy come to the realization that many taxpayers are struggling financially? It must have just taken place-he certainly did not recognize it before-ie the library,the excess contributions by Vernon taxpayers under the Sterile Insect Program ,the extra costs for fire dispatch-These are just a few-he is unbelievable!
He is likely positioning himself to run for Mayor next year, me thinks.
A tad late even though the sudden common sense is welcomed.
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