Province about to reduce their role, time commitment
Why on earth do city councillors think they need to work full-time and get a 25 percent wage increase?
To look at the issue council contracted a private consultant to write “Elected Officials Remuneration Research” after looking at comparable cities and provincial capitals. Trouble is that their findings are at odds with city council wage demands brought forward by Couns. Jeremy Caradonna and Matt Dell..
On page 6 they concluded,”Thirteen (13) of 18 cities indicated their councillors work part-time and three indicated their councillors work full-time (none of the three full-time councillors were from BC). Two cities did not answer the question.
“Five cities offered an estimate of hours of work for part-time councillors: four estimated up to 20 hours a week and one estimated up to 27 hours per week. The other cities replied they did not know or it varied.”
Many of these 18 comparator cities are larger BC cities or provincial capitals and much larger than the provincial capital of 96,000 people.
If the councillor job is really full-time, how does the mayor and council find the time to take on all the extra responsibilities of the CRD and the other positions gained as a result of their position?
Has council considered their time commitment for evening meetings will decrease significantly as a result of the province decreasing their role in dealing with land use?
Why are some councillors against the recommendations of their own lobby group, the Union of BC Municipalities in a lengthy study Council and Board Remuneration Guide (2019)?
Not happy with the proposed 25% increase? You can register your displeasure in a petition created by former councillor Stephen Andrew at change.org.
READ MORE
Taxpayers ambushed by huge council pay increase, Grumpy Taxpayers Backgrounder, Mar. 25, 2024
Councillor pay increases wrong on so many levels,Times Colonist Commentary, Mar. 20, 2024.
April Fools’ Day comes early for Victoria taxpayers, Times Colonist Commentary, Mar. 20, 2024.