New Westminster city council isn’t encountering a lot of opposition for its proposed wage hikes.
The proposal would see the mayor’s current annual indemnity of $98,868 be increased by 3.2 per cent to $102,017 and councillors’ stipends increase 8.9 per cent from $38,154 to $41,533. In addition to their regular stipend, councillors also receive $1,000 for the months they serve as acting mayor.
Monday’s council meeting included an opportunity for citizens to comment on the proposed increases, but no one voiced any support or opposition to the planned remuneration.
Joan Burgess, the city’s director of human resources, said the city conducts an in-depth review of mayor and council’s remuneration every four years. That review includes gathering data from 11 neighbouring municipalities, including information about municipal populations, municipal expenditures and indemnities provided to mayors and councillors.
Burgess said the finance department compiles the data using a “regression analysis” to determine the potential percentage adjustment to council’s remuneration. She said staff identifies a high, mid and low range of remuneration.
“The City of New Westminster’s compensation policies reflect a conservative application of a mid-range adjustment,” she said Monday night. “This is recommended in the 2016 review.”
Along with annual wage increase, Burgess said staff recommended council members’ expense allowances be increased from $3,000 to $5,000 in recognition of the increased costs generated by doing council business. The council expense policy provides the mayor and council with payment for expenses incurred while engaging in city business such as courses, negotiations, committee work, intergovernmental business, workshops, seminars, training programs, conferences and other functions.
Burgess said the city has also added a vehicle allowances to council’s expense policy, providing $200 per month for the mayor and $100 per month for councillors. She said this “modest” allowance took into account the amounts offered in other municipalities.
“This allowance is provided on a monthly basis automatically,” she wrote in an email to the Record, when asked whether they will get the vehicle allowance if they don’t drive or choose to take transit, bike or walk for city business.
Staff will bring a report back to council for its consideration and approval at the May 9 meeting.
