Gibsons councillors want to take another look at whether to join a growing number of municipal councils across the province that have voted to bump up their gross pay to compensate for the loss of a federal tax break.
Starting next January, elected officials will no longer get one-third of their pay tax-free.
In a report to council at the July 10 meeting, director of finance David Douglas estimated that the change will mean the mayor’s take-home pay could drop by $2,363 while take-home pay for councillors would go down by $ 1,096.
Douglas proposed increases to the gross pay that would leave the current take-home pay unchanged.
It would mean raising the pay for the mayor from $31,485 per year to $34,636 and increasing pay for councillors from $14,601 to $16,063.
Mayor Wayne Rowe asked for the report, with the goal of dealing with the question before the election and “to ensure whoever the incoming council is would not be disadvantaged by the change in the taxation… It wasn’t looking at anything beyond maintaining the status quo.”
Coun. Silas White said, “I think the community expects a lot more from [councillors] and I feel like it’s more and more difficult for people to afford to take on these positions.”
Coun. Jeremy Valeriote said he’s also been grappling with the question, but suggested it might need more discussion in a committee setting. “I’m generally supportive of trying to entice good candidates to come forward. I struggle with it because I don’t know even if we doubled [the pay] it would be a living wage or even attractive. It is low and I think we need to start making steps to do something about it.”
Rowe pointed out that with the August break and election coming up, the number of meetings where the pay question could be added to an agenda is limited if a bylaw needs to be in place before the new council takes office.
Council asked staff to bring back an expanded report that includes more information, including comparisons between council remuneration in Gibsons and other jurisdictions.
