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Council increases their remuneration

The voting took place during the village’s budget meeting.
Council increases their remuneration
The Burns Lake council discusses their remuneration increase during a budget meeting on Feb. 17

During a budget meeting of the Village of Burns Lake on Feb. 17, 2015, councillors brought back for discussion the topic of their remuneration increase.

In 2011, a remuneration review committee was established to review council remuneration amounts and to recommend changes if necessary. The committee recommended that the mayor's annual remuneration be increased from $15,000 to $17,500 over a three year period ($833.33 per year); and that councillors' annual remuneration be increased from $7500 to $8250 over a three year period ($250 per year).

The financial implication of this change would be an additional $5700 to the village's budget in 2015.

Mayor Luke Strimbold said council could choose to approve or decline the recommendations made in 2011, or ask for another remuneration review committee analysis to assess the current situation.

Councillor Christopher Beach said that hiring another review panel would be a waste of energy and resources, and that council should either act on the information provided in 2011 or not.

"Sooner or later we will have to look at increases to keep up with inflation," said Beach. "At least there will be some type of compensation [if we increase remuneration] for the time and sacrifice that council and mayor put into this [being on council]."

Beach added that a remuneration increase could be a way to attract more candidates to run for council on upcoming elections.

Councillor Susan Schienbein, on the other hand, said she had mixed feelings about this issue.

"Instead of having a remuneration increase, I would prefer to learn about how to do a better job as a councillor," she said. "I would rather have more opportunities for professional development activities that would enhance my decision making and knowledge about policy and procedures."

Councillor John Illes agreed with councillor Schienbein's comments, adding that he would still be motivated to run for council with the current compensation amounts.

Strimbold said that back in 2011 the village council asked for an independent review committee for a reason, and he wouldn't want to see their work taken for granted.

"The remuneration review committee came back with a recommendation, so in part of respecting some of the work and volunteer time that they contributed, it would be nice to follow through," said Strimbold. "It's also an independent advice; It's not us [council] asking for an increase, it's an independent group saying that our workload has increased and that this is what our remuneration should be."

A motion was carried to increase council remuneration starting 2015.

Present at the meeting were Mayor Luke Strimbold, councillors Christopher Beach, John Illes, Susan Schienbein and Kelly Holliday, as well as chief administrative officer Sheryl Worthing, clerk Cameron Hart and five other members of village staff.

See more on council remuneration: http://www.ldnews.net/news/292278791.html?c=n