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After taking a “gap year” on a pay increase in 2022, North Vancouver school trustees have voted themselves a five per cent raise.
The increase boosts annual pay for trustees by between $1,400 and $1,530, and will add approximately $10,000 to the budget.
Following the increase, effective July 1, pay for the school board chair will increase from $30,595 to $32,125 a year, while pay for trustees will rise from $28,226 to $29,637 annually. Pay for the vice-chair will increase from $29,050 to $30,503.
North Vancouver school trustees generally vote on their own pay hikes annually, increasing them according to the change in the Vancouver consumer price index.
Last year, however, trustees opted to hold off on giving themselves an increase while teachers and support staff were still in collective bargaining.
Since then, contracts have been settled and inflation has been soaring.
Staff presented three options for trustees to consider when deciding on their own raises at the May 23 board meeting – a 6.8 per cent increase, based on the Vancouver CPI increase for 2022, a 9.7 per cent increase, based on the CPI increase for the past two years, and the five per cent increase, based on increases to public sector wages negotiated in the past two years.
In discussion on the issue, several trustees advocated for one of the larger recommended increases. Trustees Antje Wilson and Daniel Anderson said not increasing their pay last year meant the school board had fallen below other similarly sized school districts when it comes to trustee pay.
Trustee George Tsiakos said it’s important to provide some increase, as low pay presents a barrier to people being able to serve in political roles. He said the smaller increase would have a smaller impact on the budget, however.
Trustee Cyndi Gerlach opposed an increase, saying the role of a school trustee is one of public service and she didn’t think an increase would attract more people to want to serve on the school board.
Trustees eventually voted to approve the five per cent increase in pay, with Gerlach opposed.
