West Kelowna Mayor Gord Milsom, if re-elected, could get a $12,000 raise.

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The next mayor of West Kelowna will be making $12,000 more than incumbent Mayor Gord Milsom if a report going to council tomorrow, June 14, is adopted.

Of course, there’s a good chance that mayor will still be Milsom as he is standing for re-election.

It also means that West Kelowna will have the largest cost per resident of the Thompson-Okanagan’s five largest cities.

READ MORE: Compensation, not term lengths, could determine who runs for city hall in Kelowna, Kamloops

“The Mayor as the head of Council and the CEO (Chief Elected Official under the Community Charter) is more than a full time role that requires considerable poise, knowledge and commitment,” states the report going to council. “The Mayor attends many meetings and functions on behalf of the community and many of those are evening and weekend requirements.”

The five-member task force’s recommendation is based, in part, on council being “under compensated for years” and a need to be regionally comparable in order to “encourage and attract diversity at the table.”

As a young municipality, only 14 years old, it’s still developing its plans and policies.

“The importance of decisions, knowledge and time commitment to catch up and advance the community to the expectations of the regional neighbouring local governments is an arduous task,” the report says.

If approved, the mayor of West Kelowna will make $88,240 a year, up $12,037 from $76,203. That works out to $2.45 per resident, up from $2.11.

The new rate, if approved, takes effect on Jan. 1, 2023, following municipal elections on Oct. 15.

Most other cities tie the rate of pay for council members to the cost of living.

In 2020, Penticton Mayor John Vassilaki made $83,747 or $2.27 per resident and Vernon Mayor Victor Cumming made $93,394 or $2.10 per resident.

By comparison, the region’s two largest cities are a bargain.

Kamloops Mayor Ken Christian made $99,460 in 2020 ($1.02 per resident) and Kelowna Mayor Colin Basran made $110,244 ($0.76 per resident).

READ MORE: Kelowna city manager tops list of city hall salaries at $289K

Councillors in the five cities get paid between 31% and 40% of the mayor’s pay rate.

The task force is recommending that West Kelowna councillors be paid 35% of the mayor’s salary. That works out to $30,884, a $5,445 increase, or 21%.

Kelowna councillors also came in at 35% of the mayor’s salary in 2020 which was $38,069.

Kamloops councillors are the highest paid of the five cities at $39,784 which is 40% of the mayor’s salary.

Penticton’s councillors have the lowest pay ($27,514) and lowest ratio (33%).

Vernon councillors make about the same as those in Kelowna at $33,341 which is 36% of the mayor’s pay.

 - This story was updated at 12:10 p.m., June 14, 2022 to correct a typo in the West Kelowna mayor's existing pay rate and to correct pay rates for Vernon and Penticton mayors that were different that rates stated in the West Kelowna report.

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