Morinville councillors have chosen not to cut their own pay in this time of the pandemic, with the town’s mayor calling such a move “little more than optics.”
Councillors defeated a motion from Coun. Stephen Dafoe to reduce council pay by 5 per cent between July and December in a 3-4 vote during a meeting June 9. Councillors Dafoe, Lawrence Giffin and Scott Richardson were in favour, while Rebecca Balanko, Nicole Boutestein, Sarah Hall and Mayor Barry Turner were opposed.
Dafoe argued council has had less work to do during the pandemic and had laid off a considerable number of employees. It also voted to cancel all summer programs for kids earlier that meeting.
“When we look around the community, we know there are still a lot of people not back to work,” he said, citing a recent Canadian Federation of Independent Business survey that found just 54 per cent of Alberta businesses were open.
Turner said this cut would save the town about $7,500, and said council has already saved about $30,000 from cancelled trips and conferences – equivalent to a four-per-cent wage cut. Council heard the town has saved a net $275,000 during the pandemic once you account for layoffs, reduced revenue and increased costs.
“Based on where we are today, we’re not in an immediate cash crisis,” Turner said, with just one per cent of residents deferring their monthly tax payments at this time.
“The reduction would amount to little more than optics.”
Turner said any wage cuts should be based on evidence of need, and the town would have that evidence once the pandemic’s tax impacts became clear.
Balanko said while council should lead by example if wage cuts are needed, many councillors have already taken rollbacks at their day jobs, and councillors did not qualify for the federal government’s pandemic wage supports.
Hall said this proposed cut might seem small, as it would amount to about $30 a week, but it was the same as a mortgage payment, and she had a mortgage to pay.
Dafoe said this cut was not about optics, but about showing that council recognized the community is struggling.
“I think this is the right thing to do.”
