The Coldstreamer has an interesting Post which has a letter to the Editor regarding the remuneration of a Coldstreamer Councillor and that Councillor's reply and explanation.
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Don Quixote Note: There are interesting contrasts between Meeting Pay that can be claimed by a Coldstream Council Member and a Vernon Council Member. In Coldstream Council members can claim for meetings attended at an external meeting such as NORD, GVAC or the Library. They are paid at the rate of $139/meeting. This is the same rate of pay that the appointed member from their Council is paid at NORD or GVAC. They cannot claim for Local Council Committees.
In Vernon Council Members do not get paid for attending NORD, GVAC or Library meetings by the City. They however can claim meeting pay of $137/meeting for the committees of Council that they are appointed to. They are entitled to claim this pay but are not obligated to make a claim.
In both cases the meeting pay and all Remuneration is 1/3 Tax Free.
5 comments:
Interesting difference, I was not aware of this. I guess this is a philosophical difference as to what the Council Base remuneration covers, and what areas of participation are being encouraged.
As Councillor Cochrane mentioned (and was quoted in Mr. Hegler's June 5th, 2011 letter to the editor) "the extra meeting is part of the job, and after all, we get a third of our salary that is tax free.". I agree with this, particularly when it comes to Committees of Council. In Coldstream we have seven (for now), Economic Advisory, Kalavista, Fire Dept Liaison, Agricultural Advisory, Agricultural Planning Commission, Technical Advisory, and Environmental Advisory. It does get overwhelming to keep up with all of them at times, but they are definitely part of the job.
I'm sure there is a valid reason for Vernon's Policy, but I do feel that Councillor Shawn Lee should minimally get meeting pay for Okanagan Regional Library meetings. These are held in Kelowna, require a lot of preparation, and the Library Board only compensates trustees for gas because the Library Act does not allow for Trustee Compensation (there is a S.I.L.G.A. resolution that proposes to change the Library Act). Councillor Lee gives of his time very generously and I am sure that $139 would not begin to compensate him for a morning off from his dental practice, however it would give a message that this activity is valued and supported by Vernon.
Maria Besso
"In Vernon Council Members do not get paid for attending NORD, GVAC or Library meetings by the City. "
Are you advocating double dipping? Vernon Council members who are appointed to NORD and GVAC get paid by NORD for attending NORD and GVAC meetings.
Let's hope the North Okanagan's Library reps carpool to the next meeting. I hear the ORL has the best meeting food!
Per capita cost of representation (total politicians remuneration divided by total population):
Vernon $5.50
Coldstream $10
Area B $10
Area C $7
To previous blogger. Why don't you divide total staff costs by population for each area....staffing needs are defined by the politicians. You want good staff, you have to pay for it (at union scale)....the same is true of good politicians. I wouldn't touch it for 10 times the meeting pay.....too many anonymous cheap shots from the galleries!
Great idea, let's total up the staff costs from each of the areas, and then we TAXPAYERS might realize how much all this BUREAUCRAZY actually costs.
I bet those Administrators are quaking in their boots (if they wore boots, that is).
Run off all the senior bureaucrats, then open a call for proposals to replace 'em. Rather than buying their claptrap about having to pay to get good ones, make 'em compete based on salary. After all, that's the way they treat the construction of our basic services.
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