At the committee stage St. Albert city council has voted not to implement an increase in council's salary or have a council seat be considered a full-time role due solely to a widespread disagreement on when the changes should be implemented.
The recommendations, presented to council's standing committee of the whole (SCOW) on April 11, come after seven months of work by the citizen-based council remuneration review committee, which recently completed the first comprehensive review of how St. Albert's elected officials are compensated since 2016. The review included comparing St. Albert to 12 other Alberta municipalities, interviews with current and past councillors, and a public survey.
The recommendations to increase council's salary from $58,587 to $70,000, and have the position be considered a full-time role, which were verbally supported by all seven elected officials, was recommended to come into affect after the next municipal election, however an unsuccessful amendment put forward by Coun. Sheena Hughes and supported by Coun. Shelley Biermanski and Coun. Wes Brodhead would have implemented the salary increase this summer.
After Hughes' motion was defeated, Coun. Ken MacKay put forward a motion that would implement the recommendations after the next municipal election in 2025, however that motion was defeated due to Coun. Natalie Joly also voting against.
Joly told the Gazette that she intends to bring the motion back for consideration next week during the April 18 council meeting as she felt that the $70,000 salary wasn't enough to account for cost of living changes expected to be felt in 2025.
Council can once again vote to make their position full time and increase the salary to $70,000, or more, on April 18.
The remuneration review committee's report, which includes an explanation for each recommendation, is available to read online on the city's website by accessing the April 11 standing committee of the whole agenda.
The Gazette will have in depth coverage of the meeting in the Thursday, April 13th edition.
