Burns Lake’s 2017 provisional budget includes a 1.5 per cent increase to all staff wages - union and non-union.
A 1.5 per cent wage increase to union staff would cost the village approximately $12,500 per year while a 1.5 per cent wage increase to non-union staff would cost the municipality approximately $10,000 per year.
Although union staff are entitled to a 1.5 per cent increase as per their union agreement, non-union staff are not.
Some of Burns Lake’s staff wages have significantly increased over the past decade. Burns Lake’s chief administrative officer received $72,493 in 2006; in 2009, the same position received $97,375; and in 2015, $115,460 was paid to that position. In 2006, the village’s director of protective services was receiving $60,637; in 2009, the same position was paid $72,420; and in 2015, $87,062 was paid to that position.
Other positions that were paid more than $75,000 in 2015 include Burns Lake’s director of finance, who earned $75,532; utility man level II, who earned $81,422; and the director of public works, who was paid $80,906.
The wage rise over the years has been justified as bringing Burns Lake wages in line with other B.C. communities of similar size and population.
In 2016, Lakes District News asked the District of Houston, a municipality of similar size and population, for their financial statements. Houston’s chief administrative officer earned $110,871 in 2015; Houston’s director of finance earned $75,369; Houston’s senior water and wastewater system operator earned $79,479; and Houston’s mechanic earned $75,385.
The village of Burns Lake will save almost $60,000 in arena and curling wages in 2017 thanks to the Freon plant installed at the Tom Forsyth Memorial Arena last year. That’s because the Freon plant does not require an arena attendant with refrigeration safety awareness training to be on site during operation hours like the previous ammonia system required.
Burns Lake’s 2017 provisional budget does not include any increase to council’s remuneration.
In 2012, council proposed an incremental increase to their remuneration over a three-year period. Although that proposed incremental increse was not approved, in 2015 council decided to increase their remuneration to what was originally proposed in 2012. This decision increased the mayor’s annual remuneration from $15,000 to $17,500 and councillors’ remuneration from $7500 to $8250.
The increase to council’s remuneration was recommended by an independent review committee in 2011. The financial implication of this change was an additional cost of $5700 in the village’s 2015 budget.