District of 100 Mile House councillors voted to give themselves and the mayor a pay raise at their May 21 council meeting.
Noting the remuneration and expense reimbursement package was included in the 2013-17 five-year financial plan, council unanimously passed the Council Remuneration & Expense Bylaw, which will bring this council’s annual remuneration and travel and meeting per diems more in line with communities of a similar size.
As of June 1, Mayor Mitch Campsall’s annual remuneration is pegged at $15,000 – of which, $5,000 is an allowance for expenses.
Councillors will get annual payout of $7,500, and $2,500 of that will be an allowance for expenses.
The package also included a one per cent annual remuneration increase for the mayor and four councillors until further changes are necessary.
Campsall says it has been six years since council has had a raise. It’s less that the cost-of-living rate for the past five or six years, he adds.
“We went through the worst of the economic downturn and we didn’t take a raise. It’s sort of a catch-up; it’s not really close, but that’s OK, we’re happy.”
Campsall says he believes the increase is reasonable.
Noting they looked at other communities, he adds 100 Mile House council is somewhere in the middle. “We’re not the highest and we’re not the lowest.”
Regarding the annual one per cent remuneration increase, Campsall it avoids having to go “through the ritual every year of determining whether we should raise it or not.”
If the cost of living stays at zero for four or five years, he says they would have to look at it again.
As for the expense reimbursements, the mayor says he can’t remember when that has changed.
“It has to be 10 and maybe 15 years since it was changed. It’s pretty out-dated that one.”
• When travelling for meetings, courses, etc., council members will be paid $71.80/day for meals, which includes taxes and gratuities.
• The incidental daily allowance (telephone calls, photocopy/fax charges, cleaning or repair to clothing) will be $17.30.
• For each out-of-town committee meeting, seminar or convention as a representative of the District, council members will be entitled to $75 for less than four hours and $150 for more than four hours.
• Travel costs require receipts and include air fare at the economy rate. When travelling by car, the reimbursement will be equivalent to air fare or mileage – which ever is the least amount.
• Actual transportation costs, including fares, rents, fees and charges for travel to and from an airport or other reasonable transportation expenses, substantiated by receipts, will be reimbursed.
• Out-of-town travel will be reimbursed at the provincial government employees’ rate.
• Hotel accommodation, including applicable taxes, shall be reimbursed.
• Registration fees for conventions, tuition fees for education or training courses and the cost to attend a meeting will be paid if the convention, course or meeting is directly related to the duties of office required to be performed by the councillor or the mayor.
• Expenses for spouses or someone else accompanying a councillor or the mayor will not be paid by the District.
