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| Vernon 2010 Remuneration |
Vernon’s next mayor could pocket more pay. Council will consider a recommendation Monday to increase pay for the mayor after the Nov. 19 election. “We view the mayor and council as the equivalent to the
board of directors of a private sector corporation with an annual
budget of $60 million,” states a report from s citizens’ committee
appointed by council. “Currently, the mayor and council remuneration package costs are equivalent to that of a payroll clerk.” The committee recommends the mayor’s salary climb from
$63,466 to $66,266 in 2012 while there would be no increase in 2013.
For 2014, it suggests a hike equivalent to the compound sum of the
consumer price index over the previous four years (if CPI is two per
cent each year, that would lead to an 8.2 per cent increase in salary). For council, the committee doesn’t see a need for an
increase in 2012 and 2013, but wants a hike equivalent to the compounded
sum of CPI over four years in 2014. The current councillor salary is
$20,473 a year. Presently, there is $137 for attending committee
meetings, and the recommendation is to increase that to $320 for
full-day meetings and to $160 for meetings four hours or less in length. “We reject the philosophy that the mayor and council
positions should be considered as community service as the complexity
and the commitment of the role of mayor and councillor has increased
substantially over the last two decades,” states businesspeople Jack
Borden and Joanne Weatherill, accountant Pat Lett and architect Bob McDonnell, members of the remuneration committee. “The city needs to attract individuals who are prepared
to make the necessary commitment and accept the required responsibilities. The level of remuneration should not be a barrier to
those qualified individuals wishing to seek public office.” Mayor Wayne Lippert believes the recommendations warrant consideration. “It’s fair when you look at all of the time involved,”
he said, adding that there is more to sitting on council than attending
meetings. “A good councillor spends two to three hours and takes away
time from their family and does homework (reading material).” Lippert says he’s not aware of people seeking public office for the salary. “They do it because they want to be involved and they do it for the community,” he said.----------
Don Quixote Note: The present meeting pay for sitting on NORD & GVS committees is $139 per meeting as at Dec 31, 2010. Regional Board Remuneration and Expense Bylaw 2360 - Vernon Council members appointed to NORD or GVS are paid for each meeting attended. The taxpayer pays for this remuneration through the NORD tax requisition.
The 14 committees eligible for Vernon Council meeting pay (no Council members allowed on Board of Variance) can be found here:
Don Quixote Note: The base pay and any meeting pay claimed is 1/3 tax free. The committee meeting pay of $137 per meeting was approved by the Council in Sept of 2009 (4-3 vote) despite the unanimous vote of the last Council to accept Mr McGrath's minority report of a Cost of living increase only in October of 2008 prior to the last municipal election. Council members do not automatically get the $137 meeting pay, they must claim it.
See Wednesday, October 15, 2008 Politicians pocket pay hike for Minority Report Details
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