The double-digit percentage pay raise for mayor and councillors is one step closer to reality.
During its Aug. 10 regular meeting, council gave three readings to the Remuneration Bylaw Amendment, voting 6-1 in favour each time. Coun. Brian Swanson was opposed.
Since the vote was not unanimous, it must come back to the Aug. 24 regular council meeting for official approval. Once that happens, some of the resolutions will go into effect on Monday, Nov. 16, while others will kick in on Jan. 1, 2021. Furthermore, city administration can complete the candidates’ handbook, which will contain general information to anyone interested in running in November’s municipal election.
City administration presented more than a dozen recommendations about council remuneration during the June 29 executive committee meeting, while council later adopted the motions during its July 13 regular meeting.
Some of those motions include:
- the mayor’s pay will be based on that of a Saskatchewan MLA, which is $100,068, and will be adjusted annually every July 1;
- councillors will receive remuneration equal to 33.33 per cent of the mayor’s pay, so $33,323, which will be adjusted in the same manner and at the same time as the mayor;
- councillors will receive a per diem rate of $161.30 to be charged against their travel/education allowance for attending conferences, conventions, seminars or other functions or programs related to city business outside the city;
- councillors will receive extra remuneration at the current rate of $420.92 per month when they are deputy mayor;
- the mayor will have a travel budget of $10,000 and a car allowance of $500 per month. The mayor will also be entitled to out-of-city mileage for destinations greater than 250 kilometres;
- the mayor will be eligible for all benefit programs on the same terms and conditions as city out-of-scope staff;
- councillors will receive an annual travel/education budget of $3,000 and would be adjusted in the same manner as MLAs’ salary changes;
- councillors will receive an iPad/tablet and city email account for municipal business; councillors will not receive any additional support services, nor will they receive any benefit coverage other than accidental death and dismemberment, which they already receive; and
- councillors’ per diem, deputy mayor pay and travel/education allowance will be increased annually by the same percentage that is applied to the mayor’s remuneration in relation to the MLAs’ indemnity.
The mayor currently makes $82,303, while councillors currently make $25,924. By increasing the mayor’s pay to $100,068, this would be an increase of 21.5 per cent, or $17,765. Hiking councillors’ pay to $32,323 would be an increase of 25 per cent, or $6,399.
The next regular council meeting is Monday, Aug. 24.
