BANFF – An independent public committee’s recommendation to hike the pay of mayor and council positions following this year’s municipal election was not unanimous.
According to the minutes of a March 31 meeting of the Council Remuneration Review Committee (CRRC), Connie MacDonald and Marilyn Bell supported a salary increase following in-camera deliberations, but Hugh Pettigrew did not.
Pettigrew, who lost his bid to oust Karen Sorensen in the 2017 mayoral race, did not comment on the three-member committee’s recommendations when contacted by the Outlook.
“The discussion was in-camera and they were confidential matters,” he said.
The committee recommended the full-time position of mayor receive a base salary increase of 1.4 per cent from $96,721 to $98,075 after the Oct. 18 election until the end of 2022, followed by a 2.5 per cent inflationary increase each year from 2023-25.
Moving from $31,249 to $32,692 after the election, the proposed base remuneration for a councillor would be calculated at one-third of that of the mayoral yearly salary from 2021-25, reflecting the part-time nature of the job.
Pettigrew, who appears to have supported the remaining recommendations from the committee according to the meeting minutes, said he is seriously considering running for either mayor or council in this year’s municipal election.
“I haven’t made a decision at this time,” he said.
At its May 25 meeting, council was at a stalemate on the CRRC’s recommendations on mayor and council salaries. Councillor Chip Olver was absent from the meeting.
Mayor Sorensen and councillors Grant Canning and Corrie DiManno are in favour of the raise and councillors Peter Poole, Ted Christensen and Brian Standish are opposed.
An amendment put forth by Coun. Poole to keep base salaries at 2020 levels until Dec. 31 2022 was defeated on a 3-3- tied vote. Sorensen’s motion to accept the committee’s recommendations was also defeated on a 3-3 tied vote.
That means unless someone at the council table changes his or her mind, Coun. Olver will be deciding vote when the matter returns for further consideration at council’s June 14 meeting.
As part of the independent review, the public committee reviewed the compensation packages of other comparable municipalities such as Canmore, Okotoks, Airdrie and Cochrane.
The committee found the mayor’s base salary was about six per cent below that of the comparable towns.
“We really believe the remuneration of mayor should reflect the time and commitment,” said MacDonald, who chaired the CRRC.
“Currently, for the Town of Banff, it’s approximately six below average and we felt like it’s a modest increase.”
On top of the base pay, the committee is also recommending increasing the per diem rates for council, which have not been adjusted in four years and are at the low end of the scale compared to other municipalities considered in the review.
After the election, per diem rates would be $105 for a half-day and $210 for more than four hours. For 2023-25, the rates will be based on the previous year per diems plus the municipality’s cost of living adjustment. Currently, the per diem rate is and $90 per half-day and $180 for a full-day.
As a full-time position, the mayor does not get per diems or additional compensation for chairing committees or representing the Town of Banff at an agency, board or committee meeting.
The committee is also recommending the Town of Banff consider options next term for a parental leave bylaw following changes to the Municipal Government Act.
The current health and dental benefits plan and contribution rates are not changing and the annual technology allowance of $500 remains the same.
Elected officials still have the option to enrol in the Town of Banff’s group Registered Retirement Savings Plan (RRSP). Under this program, the Town contributes five per cent of the regular wages and councillors can contribute an optional individual contribution amount.
“Providing enrolment in a retirement plan further supports the CRRC’s total compensation consideration to attract a broad scope of people to run for council,” according to the CRRC’s report.
The recommendations of the CRRC, which met six times, are not binding upon council.
