CHARLOTTETOWN, P.E.I. — Charlottetown Coun. Bob Doiron doesn’t believe his colleagues deserve a pay raise.
Doiron is reacting to news that the city has created a remuneration and allowance commission and is seeking three members of the public to sit on the board.
Under the Municipal Government Act (MGA), municipal councils have to create a commission if they want to consider a change in salary.
“I am not in favour of another raise and would not vote for one,’’ Doiron said. “There was never anything given to council to vote on for someone to look at raises.’’
Doiron added that council never discussed creating a remuneration commission.
The mayor and council received pay raises in 2015 of between 12 and 22 per cent and another six per cent this year, the latter of which was based on a settlement reached between the city corporation and its employees in April that gives all municipal employees, including elected officials, a two per cent hike per year for the last three years.
However, Coun. Terry MacLeod, chairman of the council advisory committee, notes that councillors lost about $300 a month when the federal government eliminated the tax-free allowance for all federal, provincial and municipal employees.
Doiron said it was the last council, prior to November’s municipal election, that passed a resolution that, moving forward, new councils would be given the lowest negotiated settlement (two per cent).
“We just received our raise a couple of months ago for (that) two per cent,’’ Doiron said. “The advisory committee put something forward to ask for new committees, but nowhere did it state it was for giving ourselves a raise.’’
In addition to looking for people to sit on the remuneration committee, the city is looking for residents to fill vacancies on its affordable housing advisory committee, Eastlink Centre committee, The Guild and Charlottetown Airport Authority. The application deadline is today at noon. To apply online, visit Charlottetown.ca/boards.
