Iqaluit eyes post-election pay hike for mayor

Iqaluit city councillors say the mayor’s salary should be raised after this fall’s municipal election to attract more and better candidates. (FILE PHOTO)

Whoever is chosen mayor of Iqaluit in the fall 2012 municipal election could get a raise.

That’s if Iqaluit’s city council passes a proposed new bylaw which could be put before councillors later in the year.

This bylaw would increase the Iqaluit mayor’s salary from $70,000 a year to at least $100,000.

Councillors say the change is needed to attract better candidates to the mayor’s job and to put the mayor’s salary on par with salaries earned by top city administrators.

“I do feel that the position is of importance and deserves to be on par with the directors that the mayor is sitting across from when she is dealing in the offices of the city,” Coun. Romeyn Stevenson, said at a Jan. 4 finance committee meeting.

Stevenson went on to say that a more competitive salary, comparable to those paid by the Government of Nunavut and Inuit organizations, would lead to better candidates.

“Currently, if you are talking about people from our community that would think about taking this job, all of them would be taking a pay cut, all of them,” Stevenson said.

In 2008, council voted to hike the mayor’s salary to $70,000 a year from $40,000.

At that time, councillors said the $70,000 a year salary reflected the job’s growing demands and the need to have it treated as full-time.

The new bylaw, if approved, would not come into effect until after the next municipal election, which will take place later in 2012.

Council must now ensure whoever is elected mayor actually puts in full-time hours and makes that job his or her primary focus.

Coun. Stephen Mansell told the finance committee that he would not be comfortable changing the bylaw unless a contract is drawn up stating that any outside paid work done by a future mayor requires council approval.

“This is standard in high level jobs in government and other organizations,” Mansell said.

Over the next few months John Hussey, Iqaluit’s chief administrative officer, will present councillors with a range of pay options for the mayor’s position.

“One of the challenges will come from the possibility of different benefit packages that we can offer,” Hussey said.

Right now, neither the mayor nor city councillors receive any benefits in addition to their pay.

But Hussey also foresees difficulties in validating the amount of time the mayor works because of the job’s varied requirements.

“I think the misconception is that the mayor should be in the office nine to five,” Hussey said. “ But that doesn’t work, because the mayor has to be on the move and attending events.”

“Again it is a full-time job, but you can’t be sitting in your chair.”

A pay raise for city councillors was also considered, but was finally rejected.

“I think it is OK that we do not increase the councillors’ pay because we don’t work as hard as the mayor,” Coun. Jimmy Killabuk said.

Iqaluit city councillors get a base remuneration rate of $6,000 a year, but are paid $100 for each meeting they attend, providing them with another $10,000 or so by the end of the year.