The numbers are in and for the man at the helm of the District of Squamish (DOS), it's not good news.
DOS council released its salary rates last week. While councillors' wages came in slightly above the average of other B.C. municipalities of similar populations, the mayor's pay is below average.
Last year, Mayor Greg Gardner earned $37,300. By comparison, the mayor of Salmon Arm, a municipality with 1,000 more residents than Squamish, was paid $44,799.
However, over the next two years the mayor's salary is set to increase to $48,000. Lawmakers' pay has been a contentious issue for the past couple of years. In 2010, council requested staff research salaries in B.C. municipalities. Results indicated local council remuneration fell within similar parameters with the rest of the province.
Before a vote this past spring, DOS policy stipulated that councillors were to receive 48 per cent of the mayor's salary, but council voted to take only 43 per cent. Still, over the next two years, their annual pay will increase to $20,640.
At the time, Coun. Bryan Raiser argued that the pay increase for councillors should be larger. The compensation levels are a barrier to residents wanting to get involved in local politics, he said.
Many municipalities are dealing with wage issues, Raiser - the only person to have declared his candidacy for the November 2011 election so far - told The Chief after Tuesday's council meeting. With the provincial and federal governments downloading responsibilities, being a councillor is not a part-time gig, he noted.
"Like any issue, whether or not this will change completely depends on who gets elected," Raiser said of remuneration for the mayor and council.
- With files from Meagan Robertson, The Chief.
