While government officials across Canada take pay cuts, District of Squamish council received a letter signed by 14 residents asking for a review of councillors' salaries to ensure they are being properly compensated.
"I think somebody has to stimulate this discussion because our councillors are making big league decisions with backwater pay," said Larry Murray, one of 14 residents to sign the letter.
Council received the letter for information at a council meeting Tuesday, April 7. Councillors Patricia Heintzman and Bryan Raiser opposed the decision to merely file the letter without action.
"I was completely surprised by the letter," said Heintzman in a follow-up interview. "It's something the last council brought up in their first three months of office, and it was determined we should review salaries because most of us are putting in 30 hours a week."
The current salary for a District of Squamish councillor is $17,243 a year and the mayor is paid $35,923.
The other signatures include well-known locals such as Bob Fast, John Buchanan, Ueli Liechti, Tom Bruusgaard and Eric Armour.
"I was impressed that a broad spectrum of the community signed that letter," said Raiser.
The letter suggests council leave the future of their salaries and pay raises in the hands of a citizen's task force. The task force would review what councillors in other jurisdictions of comparable size are paid.
Murray said Squamish is a growing community and the responsibility and homework needed to make good decisions is very time consuming for council members. He said proper compensation for councillors is long overdue.
Gord Addison, who also signed the letter, said current councillor compensation levels actually prevent some people from running for office.
"Good people can't afford to run for council. You have to be an independently wealthy businessperson with a lot of flexibility and the time to sit through meetings, "Addison said.
Heintzman said being a councillor is pretty much a minimum wage job. She said some people on council are giving up the opportunity to save for retirement, which many simply can't do.
"Saving for retirement is impossible which is why municipal politics tends to attract retired people or business owners," Heintzman said. " We are not pulling from the full demographic because it's difficult to juggle this with a fulltime job."
Heintzman said the salary discussion is a difficult issue politically because pay increase decisions inevitably rest with council itself.
"Most people think I am nuts for doing this job. To be honest I almost didn't run because of monetary reasons," Heintzman said. "It's not about being greedy, it's about paying the mortgage."
Raiser calls himself a lower middle class citizen with the "bad habit" of doing things out of love and not money. He agrees that council compensation needs to be reviewed.
Raiser said Squamish might be small, but council is tasked with major issues. He said councillors are given the workload of a major city.
"It is difficult and frustrating for me because I want to do the best job I can possibly do," Raiser said. "It is horribly frustrating seeing the agenda come in and thinking I want to do my best but I also have to make enough money for groceries."
Mayor Greg Gardner said salaries for mayor and council tends to be an awkward issue. At the council meeting last week, Gardner said compensation levels isn't an issue for him personally.
"I don't think we should shirk the responsibility in terms of dealing with the issue," Gardner said. "Council has not looked at the issue yet but we would have to decide how."
Gardner said the job of a councillor is extremely time consuming in a growing community such as Squamish. Last week, Gardner said councillors put in well over 14 hours in just one day.
"That did not include committee meetings, and all councillors are on at least three. So the job is very time consuming at this point in our history," Gardner said.
Gardner said a salary discussion will take place at a future Committee of the Whole meeting.
