Is Kamloops City Council due for a big pay raise? | iNFOnews | Thompson-Okanagan's News Source
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Kamloops News

Is Kamloops City Council due for a big pay raise?

Kamloops mayor and councillors are getting ready to discuss possible pay hikes in the future following the elimination of the tax-free status on their salaries starting in 2019.

KAMLOOPS - Elected officials from Kamloops city hall won't be rushing to discuss hefty pay increases for themselves to make up for a steep drop in pay, as many other municipalities are, but they know it’s coming eventually.

A change by the federal government will eliminate the tax-free status on municipal politicians salaries starting in 2019. Currently, mayors and councillors do not pay taxes on one-third of their income to make up for expenses associated with being a public official. The change means all elected councillors and mayors are due for a big pay cut.

But while Kelowna councillors mull a $11,380 yearly increase for its mayor and $3,050 per year for each councillor, and dozens of other municipalities consider similar raises, Kamloops has no current plans to bring it forward.

Coun. Dieter Dudy says the drop in pay won’t have a significant impact and doubts they’ll support a raise.

“Most of us won’t see a big difference anyway,” he says. “I don’t think we got into this for the money, it would be the wrong message we are giving (to people).”

The mayor’s annual salary is roughly $96,000 and for $37,000 for councillors currently.

Coun. Arjun Singh says when the conversation is inevitably raised, he would like input from the city’s citizen committee to provide input.

“If we did have this conversation I wouldn’t want to go without engaging with (the citizen’s committee),” Coun. Singh says. “I think ultimately this is a really challenging conversation... I personally feel that’s the way to do it, it really shouldn’t be politicians deciding for politicians... This is a very challenging conversation, any (pay) raises are obviously very awkward since we are deciding for ourselves."


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