The Minister of Municipal Affairs indicates the province won’t get involved after elected officials in Revelstoke voted themselves a significant pay raise.

Speaking to NL News, Selina Robinson was asked about a 134 per cent raise for the town’s mayor and a 67 per cent raise for councillors that was voted for last week.

The raise, as it stands, will be phased in over three years, and will see the mayor’s salary jump from $30,600 to $70,000, and councillor salaries rise from $15,300 to $25,000.

“Local governments are an order of government, and they do have authority to set remuneration and benefits for their council board members. The province does not set limits. And they have a responsibility to consider the best interest of their communities, and they are accountable to explain their choices to the same communities. That’s in their role, it’s in their purview,” Robinson says.

“Most local governments do find approaches that work for them, and for their citizens, regarding how they choose to do that. So some create local citizen-based advisory committees that make recommendations. Any increase to the Consumer Price Index. And others will use independent consultants. And it just so happens that the Union of B.C. Municipalities, they actually just released a guide to remuneration, and it sets out different approaches and considerations.”

The raise resulted in one Revelstoke councillor resigning in protest and an overwhelming union strike vote because of the raise. After that, the councillor who proposed the raise, Cody Younker backpedalled on his support for it.

The day after it was approved, mayor Gary Sulz defended the decision while speaking to NL News.