County councillors eye pay increase

BY KIRK STARRATT

kstarratt@kentvilleadvertiser.ca

NovaNewsNow.com

Other than annual increases based on the Consumer Price Index, Kings County councillors haven’t had a pay increase in nearly nine years. That might change soon, as policy for councillor remuneration is under review.

Municipal Clerk Ann Longley, who presented a report from the Policy Review Committee at the February committee of the whole (COTW) session, said they are recommending that a request for proposals be called for a consultant to perform a review of councillor remuneration, to take effect in November 2008. Longley would serve as the contact for the municipality.

Chief Administrative Officer Brian Smith said it’s important for municipalities to have the best candidates come forward to serve and the remuneration review has a connection to that. Warden Fred Whalen said with a smile that councillors feel the county already has the best ones.

Councillor Wayne Atwater said he doesn’t think the county should have to hire a consultant. He thinks it could be done in-house.

“I wouldn’t agree with hiring a consultant,” he said. “I put them in the same bag with the lawyers.”

Councillor Janet Newton said she would like to know the pay range for elected officials in comparable municipalities and she doesn’t think it’s fair for a councillor to attack citizens because of their particular job. She said she’d like it to stop.

Councillor Madonna Spinazola said the county would be well served having someone independent of the organization conduct the review. She asked for a friendly amendment to have a deadline of June assigned.

Councillor John Fuller said he agrees that it should be someone independent conducting the review and the best time for such an initiative is before an election. He said the duties of councillors have increased and that should be reflected.

Smith said council could refer the matter to someone outside the organization for a recommendation and information on remuneration is available from comparable municipalities. Whalen said council could ask the Eastern Kings Chamber of Commerce’s advocacy committee to have a look at it.

‘Go for the gold’: Atwater

Atwater said the county could get the information and, if they don’t like what they see, they could hire a consultant.

“If it’s available for free, get it for free first, then go from there,” he said. “I think it should be doubled. Let’s go for the gold.”

Councillor Barry Peterson said it wouldn’t do any good to hire a consultant because as soon as you hire someone to conduct a review and pay them, you’re done in terms of credibility. There might be a public perception that the consultant would tell councillors what they wanted to hear.

Whalen said a consultant asked councillors in 1999 if they’d do the job for free. The only one who said they’d do it for free was the late Dan Watters.

Smith suggested referring the matter to staff for a month so they could get information on councillor remuneration from other comparable rural municipalities. Council carried the motion.

Non-councillor remuneration

The county’s policy review committee is proposing an amendment to the councillor remuneration policy in regard to annual honorariums paid to non-councillor committee members appointed by council.

Longley said the policy committee has looked at honourariums for non-councillor committee members and is basing its recommendation on the number of meetings these members are expected to attend in a year.

The amendment would see non-councillor members of the Planning Advisory Committee receive an honorarium of $1,200; Grand View Manor board, $1,200; Police Services Advisory Committee, $400; Fences Arbitration Committee chair, $800; and committee members, $300.

Non-councillor committee members would be reimbursed for mileage at the province’s rate per kilometer and for other expenses incurred as a committee member.

The COTW is recommending council approval of the proposed amendment. Spinazola said council has to be careful when setting such policy because the municipality has lots of committees.

“What about the person that misses every second other meeting?” Spinazola said.

Whalen said there is a deduction in such circumstances.

The current rates

Following a lengthy debate at the April 1999 council session, the council of the day approved rescinding the Remuneration and Expenses of Council Bylaw and adopting a new policy on councillor remuneration.

The rates set were Warden, $29,000 per year; Deputy Warden, $20,000; and councillors, $16,000.