The citizen-based council remuneration review committee is recommending a nearly $20,000 salary bump for St. Albert's city councillors, although if approved, the raise won't come into affect until 2025.
The committee is the first of it's kind since 2016 and has been meeting at least once a month since last September in order to undertake a comprehensive review of the salaries and benefits paid to St. Albert's elected officials. This committee features former city councillor Ray Watkins, who, in 2021 spoke in favour of increased council remuneration and making it a full time position.
On Wednesday, April 5, the committee held its' final meeting before presenting their recommendations to council on April 11, and held a final vote on all recommendations.
Besides the $20,000 increase to council's salary, which would bring the yearly compensation to $70,000 per member, the committee is recommending that serving as a councillor should be considered a full-time position, rather than a part-time job as the role is currently labelled.
The committee is also recommending that the mayor's salary should remain unchanged at $131,920, and no additional compensation should be provided to councillors when they serve as deputy mayor.
Another major recommendation the committee is putting forward is that mayor and council should have access to 16-week parental leave if so necessary. Last fall council nearly passed a motion that would make elected officials have access to parental leave, but council eventually decided to let the remuneration committee make the recommendation.
The committee is also recommending that mayor and council should no longer receive partial subsidies for cell-phone and internet costs, as is currently offered.
The five-member committee voted unanimously on all recommendations except the cell-phone and internet subsidy and a recommendation that future salary increases for mayor and council should be adjusted according to cost of living changes as calculated by the annual non-union city employee increase. Former councillor Ray Watkins was the lone opposition vote for both recommendations, although he did not explain why during the meeting.
The committee will present their recommendations to council on Tuesday, April 11 during the scheduled standing committee of the whole meeting. At committee, council will have their first opportunity to discuss the recommendations, and will decide whether or not the recommendations are put forward for further debate in an upcoming regular council meeting.
All of the remuneration review committee's recommendations, if approved, won't come into affect until after the next municipal election.
The April 11 committee of the whole meeting is scheduled to start at 9:30 a.m. and will be streamed on the city's YouTube account.
More to come.
