Pay hike for city council

By Dan Hilborn
Published Sept. 13, 2006


A divided Burnaby council has approved a 2.56 per cent retroactive pay increase for themselves.

Team Burnaby councillors Gary Begin, Lee Rankin and Garth Evans voting against the pay hike, which raises the mayor's total indemnity to $90,057 this year, while the councillors will each receive $40,026. One-third of those indemnities is a non-taxable expense allowance.

Begin raised some hackles when he said that the remuneration is too rich for what believes should be considered a public service.

"I guess my feeling is that this isn't a job. It's an opportunity to serve the community," Begin said as he kicked off a 20-minute debate.

The 2.56 per cent pay raise was recommended by a council indemnity advisory committee, comprised of three unnamed individuals from the community. The committee based its recommendation on a formula that was originally agreed upon in 2001, using the combined average of three factors - the Vancouver consumer price index (1.53 per cent), the B.C. average weekly wage increase (3.66 per cent), and Burnaby city staff's CUPE Local 23 pay raise (2.50 per cent).

Begin, who was on council when a 'blue ribbon' panel of citizens originally recommended the formula, said he would prefer to see council's pay based on only one factor, the consumer price index. Begin also admitted that he began to develop second thoughts about council's pay rate after he lost the 2002 election.

"Sometimes it does a world of good to walk away from this table and to listen to what the people have to say," Begin said.

Although Begin's proposal would have reduced council's indemnity rate by only one per cent, the Burnaby Citizens Association majority stood firm on the contention that the pay hike was fair, and is based on information that is as impartial as possible.

Mayor Derek Corrigan, who noted that he is the fifth highest paid mayor in the third largest community in the Lower Mainland, successfully argued that council should approve the pay hikes for this year, and then review the formula next year.

"I don't think anyone on council should feel defensive about their indemnities," said Corrigan.

The most vehement defender of the raise was Coun. Sav Dhaliwal, who noted that Begin could always donate a portion of his indemnity to local community groups if he believes he is paid too much.

"I am giving back to the community more than what I am paid," Dhaliwal said, before adding that he would be willing to review the formula.

Coun. Lee Rankin pointed out that Coun. Colleen Jordan was a citizen member of the original 'blue ribbon' committee that came up with the formula back in 2001. That committee also recommended that council's indemnity be boosted by about 30 per cent to make it comparable to the pay rates given to city councils in other Lower Mainland communities.

Rankin also noted that with the "very hot economy" of the Lower Mainland, average pay hikes in the private sector could rise by as much as three to four per cent each year for the next decade.

Coun. Nick Volkow said he would be more comfortable if an independent citizen's committee set the rates.

A report calling for the indemnity rates to be sent to the executive committee of council was tabled.

LOWER MAINLAND CITY COUNCIL PAY RATES:

Councillors Mayor Pop.

Vancouver* $52,441.60 $119,042.44 583,296

Surrey $50,134.00 $99,087.00 383,831

Burnaby $40,026.00 $90,057.00 202,966

Richmond $40,834.00 $92,025.00 172,714

Coquitlam $37,379.01 $110,597.84 121,463

Delta $28,367.00 $75,965.00 101,843

* total indemnity is taxable

Figures compiled by the City of Burnaby finance dept.