The often-thorny issue of remuneration for elected officials will be front and centre at the next Islands Trust Council meeting, with members planning to sort out whether future trustees should see an increase in what they’re paid.
The Trust’s Governance Committee is now in receipt of a recommendation from consultants targeting a “realignment” of remuneration that would essentially set trustee payments at 60 per cent of the median paid to Capital Regional District electoral area directors. That committee had requested a pay review, partly in response to increases in trustee workload and responsibilities since the current pay scheme was first established in 2010.
In the 16 years since, according to Brentwood Advisory Group’s Paul Murray, trustees’ base remuneration — ranging from $9,500 to $37,000 each year, varying based in part on the population of a trustee’s area — has increased to follow inflation through the Consumer Price Index (CPI) and also as a committee per-meeting fee was introduced. But coming at the issue as an independent party, Murray told trustees Feb. 17 that while the current methodology was reasonable, it wasn’t perfect — and has likely fallen out of “market alignment” since it was established, citing a survey of current trustees who suggested “complexity matters more than size, leadership roles are materially heavier and current proxies (folios, population alone) feel misaligned.”
There was also clear communication that remuneration levels were seen as a “barrier to renewal” — experienced trustees don’t feel like the compensation matches the workload, Murray said, and are increasingly opting not to run for office again.
“You have a fairly high turnover, and there’s concern about that continuing in the future,” said Murray. “One of the factors being remuneration, and the ability to juggle this role with all the other life and work commitments that you need to have in order to live in the islands.”
Committee members generally agreed.
“When I was first elected, being the ‘young’ member at 45 years old,” chuckled Lasqueti Island trustee Tim Peterson, “Trust Council skewed heavily toward retired and financially independent folks. That doesn’t mean there’s anything wrong with those folks, and certainly they should be represented at council, but so should younger voices — and the portions of our populations that may not be financially independent.”
Trustee remuneration currently sits at roughly 35 per cent of the median for electoral area directors; the financial implication of a raise to 60 per cent would increase the Islands Trust budget by roughly $130,000 — the equivalent on its own, according to budget estimates, of a 1.4 per cent tax increase for the Local Trust Areas.
The draft budget for the Islands Trust currently sits at $11.9 million, supported by a projected tax increase of 9.9 per cent in Local Trust Areas and an 18.1 per cent general increase for Bowen Island — different increases than predicted earlier, partly due to the draft budget having shifted to increase draws from reserves.
The decision lies with the broader Trust Council, which is expected to take up the issue at its next meeting March 10-12.
Any change to trustee remuneration would be approved by the outgoing Trust Council and would take effect April 1 of the first year of the new council’s term.