There will be no pay raise this year for elected leaders with the Thompson-Nicola Regional District, after directors voted against giving themselves a pay bump.
The vote was unanimous, 26-0, to keep pay levels for board members at the same level as they were in 2020.
If passed, board members were looking at a pay raise of about 0.70 per cent, on average. Rural directors would’ve seen an extra $188 for the year, while municipal directors would’ve received a raise of $110.
The board chair would’ve seen a pay increase of $183, rising to $23,303 in addition to their director salary, and the vice-chair would’ve seen an extra $39, with the pay for that rising to $4,639 on top of their director salary.
With maintaining last year’s salaries, rural directors earn between $25,117 and $28,757, while municipal directors earn between $14,713 and $17,573. Meanwhile, the chair and vice chair’s annual indemnities are $22,600 and $4,600, respectively, which are separate from their director salaries.
Area director Sally Watson suggested the TNRD board’s “public image” was a reason to not vote in favour of a pay raise this year. That comment follows a spending controversy uncovered by Kamloops This Week, showing that former CAO Sukh Gill spent $517,000 in taxpayer money on his company credit card between 2015 and 2020.
Area director Mel Rothenburger also spoke in favour of that proposal before the vote was made.
“The (Consumer Price Index) is going to amount to very little, in terms of dollars. But it would send the right message, I think. It’s not going to inconvenience us, but I think we need to let people know that we’re keeping a close watch on ourselves on these things.”
Meanwhile, later in their meeting, board members also voted to allow an independent, forensic audit to proceed of TNRD spending in the past five years. Details of what that will entail can be read here.
Editor’s Note: This story previously said directors were in line for a raise of about 2.6 per cent, when it fact it would’ve been about 0.70 per cent. The figures in the story are now correct.
