Council contemplates hefty raise

by Wayne Moore - Castanet  Mar 6, 2012 / 1:41 pm

West Kelowna Councillors are in line for a hefty pay raise -- if they choose to accept it. A report before council Tuesday on council remuneration calls for 9.71 per cent increase for Mayor Doug Findlater and a 13.5 per cent salary bump for each of the six sitting councillors.  The report suggests the mayor's yearly stipend increase to $66,759 in 2012 (from $60,853 in 2011) while each councillor would receive $23,443 in 2012 (from $20,654 in 2011).  The recommendation is derived from a policy which takes the median council remuneration of six BC communities  including North Cowichan, Penticton, Campbell River, Vernon, Port Moody and Langley. A year ago, despite a recommendation for increases of 0.41 per cent for the mayor and 0.74 pert cent for councillors, council instead approved a zero per cent increase. Because council declined an increase a year ago, the recommended increase in 2012 based on the median remuneration of the six designated cities is higher because, in essence, it is a 'catch up' increase. Two years ago, Findlater attempted to turn down a $2,700 increase, however, when he learned he could not, he instead wrote a cheque to the municipality for the entire amount.
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8.5.2 Council Remuneration Pg. 81

  Don Quixote Note: Vernon Remuneration for 2011 and 2012 appears to have been calculated by adding the Base Pay and payment for Committee meetings at $137 meeting. In 2012 there was to be no increase for Council Base Pay and The Mayor declined his base rate increase. The Meeting pay that was scheduled to increase to $160 meeting was deferred until at least 2013 and remains at $137 per eligible committee meeting. Meeting pay will only be paid to those Council members who apply for it.

Actual Base Pay 2011    
Mayor: $63,466
Councillor: $20,474