View Royal Coun. Ron Mattson asked his fellow councillors to voluntarily take a 10 per cent cut to their pay in order to set “an example respecting the need to restrain costs and minimize any tax increase.”
Mattson made the motion at the Town of View Royal council meeting on May 15.
Coun. John Rogers seconded the motion so that it could be discussed but ultimately he – as with all other councillors except Mattson – voted against the motion.
Last year, Mattson asked that 10 per cent of his wages be put back into the town’s pocket, something he will continue to voluntarily do. Mattson also asked staff to reduce his expense allowance to half of its current $4,200 maximum.
“As a message to the people that we’re serious about keeping costs under control,” Mattson explained.
A council remuneration survey for 2011 shows View Royal councillors made $11,250 for the year, below the provincial average for similarly sized communities. The highest paid councillors on the list were in Comox and earned $14,136. The lowest, in Cumberland, made $7,902.
