Finally, Banff’s mayor and councillors are in line for a well deserved future pay increase.
Here at the Outlook, we’ve favoured such an increase, particularly for the mayor’s position, since the issue was raised some time ago.
We’re not talking a raise just to attract more candidate hopefuls in the upcoming October municipal election (page 12), we’re simply talking appropriate pay for work that’s being done.
It’s not as though the present Banff mayor and council decided on a whim to give themselves a raise – in fact, in the face of likely opposition, they likely delayed longer than necessary in making it happen. The raises come more at the urging of a third-party compensation review committee.
And it’s not as though the raises kick in immediately, they’ll kick in after the next election. A vote now to increase pay will have no effect on council as it is presently configured.
The main issue is that, compared to immediate neighbour Canmore, the pay level for Banff’s council, particularly the mayor, has certainly been inadequate, given the workload.
And hey, even at the hardly staggering new pay rate of $77,000 for a full-time mayor, up from $37,000 as a part timer, it’s still only about one-third that of the Town’s manager. And town managers don’t have to run an election campaign, aren’t the face of a community and don’t have a shelf life of possibly one municipal government term.
The new Banff mayor’s salary will still lag behind those of the leaders of other tourism areas such as Canmore ($74,438) and Whistler ($87,000). Moving to $25,500 for the next councillors simply means a 30 per cent difference with other communities is being made up.
Further, for Banffites concerned that their mayor and council aren’t deserving of a pay increase, compare your job to theirs.
Are decisions you make at work ever scrutinized by an entire community? Did you have to run an election campaign/popularity contest to land your present job? Do you work days, evenings, weekends, travel out of town to represent your employer, make public statements regarding decisions you made while doing your job as required? Do you have to pore over public documents to arm yourself with sufficient information to make informed decisions on what is best for thousands of others?
We thought not. For that matter, how many Banffites have ever taken in a council meeting to see what goes on and to see what kind of decisions your elected representatives weigh in on?
Typically, and this not only applies to Banff, citizens only make an appearance in council chambers, at public hearings, or at open forums when an issue that applies particularly to them is on the agenda. So, in a given year, your concern may be a vinyl picket fence, a pedestrian bridge, parking issues or a new development on the property next to you.
As a mayor or councillor, though, you’re involved in all of the above, plus much more – and careful thought, process and decision making is involved.
As a municipal politician, there’s no hiding behind party politics, no stretches of time where you’re out of sight and out of mind in Edmonton or Ottawa like MLAs or MPs.
As an MLA or MP responsible for a large area and population, you’re unlikely to bump into a constituent at the grocery store, while filling up with gas, while attending a school event with a child. That’s not the case with municipal politicians and that’s why voters get far more bang for their buck with local elections than with provincial or federal events.
In the end, when there’s a flood, say, or a major tourism downturn, or you need someone to speak at a public engagement… who you gonna call? Some may turn to the Ghostbusters, but most will turn to someone like Mayor Karen Sorensen or whoever sits in the mayor’s chair after the next election.
