Metro 麻豆传媒映画city councillors collectively gave themselves a 13.9 % raise over the span of their four-year term, an analysis of their compensation shows.
In the same time period, from 2013 to 2017, the average weekly wage rate in B.C. increased 6.5 %, according to the Statistics Canada. Of 21 municipalities, only four council wage increases fell below this threshold 鈥� North Vancouver, Maple Ridge, Bowen Island and Lions Bay.
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The five largest increases came in Anmore (41.7 %), Port Moody (37.2 %), 麻豆传媒映画(32.4 %), New Westminster (24.2 %) and White Rock (21.2 %).
Many municipalities have set their wages based on comparable municipalities or pegged them to the 麻豆传媒映画Consumer Price Index (VCPI). But if the index goes down, compensation does not. According to Statistics Canada, the compounded increase to VCPI between 2014 and 2017 was 6.8 %.
Glacier Media compared the four most recent statements of financial information to Dec. 31, 2017, reported by each municipality to the provincial government at the end of each year. Base wages do not include such items as vehicle allowances, transportation expenses, benefits and pensions 鈥� all of which vary between cities and may or may not be reported in detail. Nor do the wages include compensation of about $20,000 for councillors sitting on the Metro 麻豆传媒映画regional government board.
The average base compensation for councillors is now $41,450, while mayors earned $93,051.
UBC political scientist Maxwell Cameron said the raises highlight a trend in which Canadian politicians are increasingly moving closer to the top end of the average worker鈥檚 salary. He said wage increases are bound to provoke resentment considering 鈥渢he average income of a the typical worker has been flatlined.鈥�
However, he said, people should consider the value in a politician鈥檚 work.
鈥淚 try to push back against the populist ideology we hear, that politicians are too numerous and overpaid,鈥� Cameron said.
Port Coquitlam mayor Greg Moore was recently quoted as telling an audience of developers at a forum last month that local municipal officials were not overcompensated.
鈥淲e鈥檙e the least paid in this whole room,鈥� he said.
Moore, who declined an interview, was heavily scrutinized last April as chair of Metro Vancouver鈥檚 board after its members voted for a significant pay raise that was later reversed. Moore told media higher salaries are needed to attract new politicians.
Moore earned $77,747 per year as chair, on top of his 2017 mayor鈥檚 salary of $94,484, plus a $7,550 transportation allowance and other benefits.
Cameron said setting salaries is a balancing act.
鈥淚deally you don鈥檛 want politicians to be part of the small part of the population,鈥� he said. 鈥淥n the other hand you do want them well compensated. If they don鈥檛 keep up with other professions you鈥檒l have more difficulty recruiting professionals who may need to leave their career and take part in this important job.鈥�
麻豆传媒映画reviewed its council salaries in late 2015. A new, much larger wage was set based on median population, operating budgets and salaries of a sample of large Canadian cities. Its wages are now set to VCPI, with no declines if the index declines.
The City of Richmond employs a market survey for ongoing reviews and adjustments based on comparable regional municipalities, including Surrey, Burnaby, Coquitlam, Delta and Abbotsford. Additionally, salaries are automatically adjusted to the CPI. Delta also compares itself to other municipalities.
This past term, with an 18 % increase, Richmond ($66,214) surpassed Burnaby ($60,654 plus a reported transportation allowance of $4,320) in base council salary, despite Burnaby having a bigger population and operating budget.
Following a wage freeze, Surrey鈥檚 council gave itself an 8.8 % increase to $71,660, commencing February 2017, after an independent review recommended it be paid in line with councils in cities with similar operating budgets. Surrey councillors also get a $7,435 vehicle allowance (the mayor receives $14,580) plus per-kilometre compensation.
Surrey鈥檚 new policy is to set council wage increases to the same rate of increase as the average Surrey full-time employee.
