MD OF BIGHORN – MD of Bighorn councillors are getting a five per cent cost of living adjustment (COLA), with the potential for another 1.5 per cent to be tacked on.
Initially, administration recommended a 6.5 per cent increase to council salaries for 2023, but Coun. Jen Smith passed a motion for the increase to align with MD staff, which was approved for a five per cent increase in January pending the results of a staff salary review.
“It would be my opinion that we match staff and not the recommended 6.5 [per cent] COLA,” said Smith, adding that she would rather prioritize staff increases over council. “As those of you sitting at this table know, I take a hard line when it comes to council remuneration.”
Reeve Lisa Rosvold, who voiced support for Smith’s motion, questioned administration on why the increase was different from what is proposed for staff.
The MD's 2023 budget incorporates the five percent adjustment, with the expectation that the compensation review will recommend a staff salary increase, explained CAO Shaina Tutt.
“We did the five per cent adjustment to start, anticipating that the compensation review would come back in favour of employees,” said Tutt. “With that, a mid-year increase would be proposed, potentially.”
The proposed 6.5 per cent increase, however, is based on the average Consumer Price Index increase as indicated by Statistics Canada from the previous year.
The approved five per cent increase for council means the reeve’s salary is $36,025 annually, up from $34,310, and councillor pay is $28,360, up from $27,010. All of council will receive pay retroactive to Jan. 1, 2023.
Coun. Rick Tuza supported Smith’s motion but argued that taking a lower increase “puts further pressure” on councils down the road.
He said he would be in favour of revisiting remuneration discussions when the staff salary review is released. The MD expects to have results from the review by the end of the month or early July, at which point it was decided further adjustments can be discussed if needed.
With a 6.5 per cent increase, the reeve’s salary would be $36,540 and councillor pay would be $28,765. Last year, a 4.7 per cent cost of living increase was approved. There was no increase in council pay in 2021.
Bighorn is following other municipalities in adjusting staffing costs for inflation. Canmore council approved a 5.9 per cent cost of living adjustment for staff in its 2023 budget, while the Town of Banff's governance and finance committee proposed adding $820,000 to address the wage gap with other municipalities.
Tutt said the tentative staff salary increase for MD staff was proposed to ensure it can “allocate the service increases we wanted, while recognizing an employee increase and salary,” noting the 2023 operating budget is a 14 per cent increase from the previous year’s budget.
The bulk of the budget's operating expenses are staffing, including an inflationary increase of current salaries anticipated from the wage review.
In 2017, the municipal excellence committee and Bighorn council called for regular staff salary reviews in the MD to ensure fair compensation. The last review occurred in 2017 and was approved by council in 2018.
The goal of the wage review is to ensure fair compensation for current staff and promote internal equity. It also ensures that the municipality remains competitive with other government entities by comparing existing staff positions to similar roles in neighbouring municipalities.
The staff remuneration review is expected to return to council at an upcoming governance and priorities committee meeting, at which point council may discuss further amendments to its remuneration policy.
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