How much should mayor and council be paid?
The District of North Vancouver is set to hire a firm to help answer that question following a unanimous vote at their Jan. 15 meeting.
Council has yet to choose a firm or budget a cost for the report, which is slated to compare wages for mayor and council in similar communities while considering the cost of living.
Salaries “must be sufficient to compensate for the dedication, complexity and time demanded of the roles including factors such as ever increasing access by the public via social media,” according to a District of North Vancouver staff report. The salaries should also “attract citizens with a wide range of skills and backgrounds,” according to the report.
The report is due before council by April 30. However, any changes in pay scale would be implemented after the 2018 municipal election, concurrent with the appointment of the next district council.
Currently, District of North Vancouver Mayor Richard Walton is paid a yearly salary of $101,796. District councillors earn approximately $40,718.
City of North Vancouver council approved their new salaries for 2018 unanimously and without discussion at their Jan. 15 meeting.
Mayor Darrell Mussatto is set to earn $107,185 while councillors are paid $37,078. Councillors also receive monthly stipend of $1,350 for each month spent as acting mayor.
Each councillor is scheduled to serve as acting mayor for two months during the year.
West Vancouver council voted unanimously to give themselves a 15 per cent raise in December, giving Mayor Michael Smith an annual salary of $97,335 and district councillors $38,934.
