County councillors have taken a pay cut to show support for those affected by the pandemic.
Sturgeon County council voted 5-1 (Coun. Kristen Toms opposed, Coun. Dan Derouin absent) May 26 to cut council pay by five per cent from June 1 to Dec. 31 this year.
Coun. Patrick Tighe proposed the cut as a symbolic gesture to show support for those who have lost jobs due to the coronavirus pandemic.
“Everyone is reeling in society,” he said, and every bit of support helps.
Corporate services director Jesse Sopko said Woodlands County approved a 10-per-cent council pay cut last month that would last until its members resumed in-person meetings. Strathcona County council considered, but rejected, a 15-per-cent cut to its pay last month that would have lasted the length of the pandemic.
Under council’s pay policy, Sturgeon County’s mayor makes $102,874.76 a year while councillors make $74,339.03, not including per diems. These wages are to be raised or held steady each year based on the Alberta weekly earnings report from Statistics Canada.
Sopko reported that a five-per-cent cut between now and the end of the year would save the county $16,514, equivalent to three per cent of the 2020 council salary budget.
Coun. Neal Comeau noted council is already saving money on travel and conferences through electronic meetings, and council’s workload has arguably increased since the pandemic started (for example, through the creation of a pandemic recovery task force).
Toms said council also felt it needed to do more work during the pandemic, with additional meetings proposed for the summer.
“Is this necessary or is it just optics?”
