The Town of Athabasca’s council unanimously supported an initiative to form a citizens committee that would guide council remuneration in an effort to increase transparency.
Proposed by Mayor Colleen Powell during their Nov. 20 meeting, Powell said having a citizens committee oversee council pay would prevent incessant arguments at the council table.
“When we come to discuss what we get paid, how we get paid, what's a half-a-day, what's a full day, we will spend hours of our life discussing this and fighting over five dollars,” Powell said.
Under the proposal, five town citizens are set to form a council remuneration committee. It would study council salaries and expenses in the town, look at what comparable communities are doing and then make recommendations to council.
Powell noted such a committee had existed during her last term, and they found council at the time was underpaid, but recommended not to increase pay due to bad timing.
Powell added the 2013-2017 council voted for a pay increase and it resulted in some public negativity.
“The last council, knowing that they were underpaid, did give themselves a raise last term and got in all kinds of problems in the public,” Powell said. “If we can take it to a citizens committee, we will save time here and perhaps save ourselves some fallout if we make the wrong decision."
She added that she would like members of the committee be former mayors and councillors, to ensure familiarity with municipal governance.
Coun. John Traynor said the public often does not appreciate the work that goes into the role when they complain about council pay increases.
“Even if you feel you do deserve a raise, a lot of people say, ‘Hey, what are you doing for that much money?’” he said. “People don’t really realize until they provide the public and work for the public that it’s tough, it really is. It’s got to be someone who understands the system.”
Powell said if approved, the committee would not come into effect until after 2018 budget deliberations.
“Politicians paying themselves, I think, is a bad precedent,” Powell said.
