Council votes to return 2021 cost of living raise

Mayor Linda Brown put forward a motion to City Council this week to return their cost of living raises for 2021.

“This is one that I’m looking at because we’ve had a number of decreasing tax revenues in the City, business is suffering, there is decreasing income all around us, individuals are losing their jobs due to COVID-19. This is a way to show our support and recognize those who are having difficulty,” said Brown.

Mayor and Council, per the remuneration bylaw, are entitled to a yearly cost of living raise based on the consumer price index.

“I fully support this. This year has been rather challenging for businesses and people in the community. I think there are going to be some challenges for this council as we look at our budget moving forward,” said Coun. Tony Luck.

“If we’re expected to reduce expenses we need to look at ourselves first and find ways to be cost-effective. I definitely support this,” added Coun. Adam Etchart.

The unanimous vote to return the funds is technically non-binding and each individual councillor will still have to speak directly to payroll to have the raise returned.

– Written by Michael Reeve

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