The CAMROSE BOOSTER, August 24, 2021 – Page 14
City proposes increase to council salary By Lori Larsen
During the August 16 City of Camrose regular council meeting, administration presented a report to council for approval of updates to the Council Remuneration Policy. Administration recommended council consider approving remuneration levels in preparation for the incoming council in November. Currently, the base salary amount for the City of Camrose mayor is $62,534.78 and for council members $21,633.50. Mayor Norm Mayer began the discussion. “This is an item that seems to get band-aided enough. Nobody ever wants to make a decision, especially during an election year, but I am inclined to think people who want to run for council, especially where they have a job where they are getting paid and they have to hire someone to come in and fill their spot, it is costing them money and I think it is something we have to look at.” He continued, “The suggestions we have before us are to strike a balance of remuneration for the position of council and/or mayor, based on comparables in other communities and other centres. “Camrose traditionally has been on the low side– considerably lower than other communities–maybe because we felt donating our time was why we are here, but there are some people who may feel they are not in that position and I think we have to respect that.” The information brought forward by City administration based on comparisons of salaries (including extended health benefits, CPP, life insurance and WCB) for mayor and councillors to nine other communities and averaging out salaries recommended effective January 1, 2022, the structure of salaries would be as follows: $70,000 (total compensation cost of $77,000) for mayor, and $40,000 (total compensation cost of $46,000) for each councillor. Councillor Wayne Throndson was not in favour of the proposed increase in remuneration, suggesting $30,000 (for councillors) would be a more appropriate number. “It is never desired to be the lowest paid in the
The stage is set
CITY PAGE
at Recycle with Centra Cam
province and I think that is where we find ourselves. “I would say most people who run do it out of a sense of civic responsibility. It is not for the money. We have had that discussion around this table that it is not about the money, and it concerns me that the more people get paid, we run the risk of watering down that sense of civic responsibility. I am also concerned about the optics of giving a 100 per cent pay increase
when we tell our other staff members ‘times are tough’ and we are in the midst of negotiations where we are trying to be fiscally responsible with taxpayers’ dollars.” Throndson referred to the percentile formula done by the City manager to come up with the proposed remuneration for mayor and council. “I think at the 20th percentile for municipalities, that gets us around
$30,000 for City council, and the mayor would be approximately the same(as current). It might be a slight pay decrease.” Councillor Kevin Hycha agreed with councillor Throndson, indicating he had concerns with an increase to $40,000. “One of the other items that we have talked about over and over again is the eight versus six (councillors). A city our size has eight council-
lors, where a normal city would only have six.” Hycha agreed with Throndson that the optics are not good, considering council has asked other staff to hold or take reductions in salaries. “Then we turn around and increase our wages. Yes, we are far behind, we have always been far behind, so I think the step to $30,000 is a great stride and I would go along with that one.”
Continued on page 16
