Iqaluit councillors debate new pay scale

Worried that it’s too close to a municipal election to give themselves a pay raise, Iqaluit city council nevertheless considered a by-law this week that would create a new pay scale for city councillors and the mayor.

A committee composed of former municipal officials, including Gord Rennie, Bob Hanson and Natsiq Kango, suggested the half-time mayor should receive $30,000 a year, the deputy mayor $8,000, and councillors $6,000.

The mayor currently receives $54,000, the deputy mayor $10,000 and the councillors $3,000.

“Are you worth the dollars we are proposing? Are you worth less?” was the question Hanson put to council.

Hanson said his committee tried to evaluate what each position merited in terms of remuneration, but added they couldn’t compensate for the unpaid nature of being a municipal councillor or mayor.

The money is meant more as an incentive to encourage ordinary people to run than to represent a percentage of any salary.

Hanson suggested councillors receive an additional amount for every committee meeting they attend, and that the deputy mayor receive more money when acting as mayor. He also suggested an increase in expenses for municipal officers who travel on city-related business.

Despite unease on the part of several councillors, they did refer the council indemnity by-law to third reading after learning what cities of similar size elsewhere in Canada offer as compensation to their elected municipal officials, that is, between $15,000 and $30,000 for the mayor, and between $8,000 and $10,000 for councillors.

However, council voted to amend the amount paid to the mayor to $40,000, the deputy mayor to $8,000 and councillors to $6,000.

Councillors will also receive $100 for attending a committee meeting and $120 for presiding over a committee meeting.

When travelling on city business, councillors and the mayor can expect to received $250 for out-of-pocket expenses.