The public will get a chance to put in its two cents on how many dollars council members should get paid.
The council remuneration review committee vice-chair Stanley Haroun presented the committee’s proposed work plan to council on Monday.
As part of the five-member committee’s work, a public survey will be undertaken to see what residents think.
Haroun said in an email the public survey will be taking place this month. When it is available, people will be able to give their input online or at various city facilities.
The committee will be looking at more than just how much is on councillors’ paycheques. They are also set to look at employment benefits, expenses, per diem meeting fees and the ongoing question of whether or not councillors should be part-time or full-time. It is likely the survey will touch on some of those topics as well as pay.
Currently only the mayor is a full-time position. Councillors are part-time.
According to council policy, as of April 1, 2015, the mayor was set to receive $104,172 per year while councillor pay was set at $36,460.
There is also a council development budget, $7,000 for the mayor and $5,000 for each councillor, and employer retirement contributions, a per diem rate and group benefits.
The work plan presented by Haroun shows this year’s final report will be submitted to council in early September, with a draft coming in August.
The last council remuneration report was delivered in 2012. Councillor pay was linked to being 35 per cent of the mayor’s, with increases tied to the Average Weekly Earnings Alberta index.
The 2012 report suggested councillors remain categorized as part-time.
This term, council decided to change its policy so that a pay review will occur once a term rather than once every two terms. The change, initiated by Coun. Tim Osborne, was in part a reaction to controversy over expenses and the need to clarify some of the policies around them.
On Monday, Osborne said he appreciates residents taking on the review.
“The issue of remuneration is always one that council is not willing to touch,” he said.
