As of January 1st, one third of Council remuneration will no longer be tax free, which will result in less money for local politicians.
A lot of local governments have responded by increasing their pay, but Quesnel Council decided last night to enlist the services of those who won’t be seeking re-election to make recommendations.
City Manager Byron Johnson…
“Outgoing Councillors have the very best understanding of the commitment levels needed to be city councillors, you know the amount of hours you put into the position. They’re also not hampered by conflict of interest pecuniary concerns. Any recommendations you make will not apply retroactively to themselves so there is no concern for that.”
Councillors Shusil Thapar, Ed Coleman and John Brisco will sit on this temporary limited duration reference group.
How other communities have responded to this issue varies, with some taking large pay increases and others choosing not to make any adjustments.