Report for Independent Council Compensation Committee ...



March 28, 2006

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Six-figure Steve!; Mandel near top of payroll of canada's mayors

The Edmonton Sun - News

By Frank Landry, City Hall Bureau

Councillors'pay should be modest

Edmonton Journal - News

Joe Mahoney Jr.

Councillors earn keep

Edmonton Journal - Opinion

Shauna Warwick

Councillors deserve at least as much as MLAs

Edmonton Journal - Letters

Rita Mildon

Just do it!

Edmonton Journal - Letters

Dawn Finnigan

Does Klein's praise warm mayor's heart?

Edmonton Journal - Opinion

City councillors are already well paid

Edmonton Journal - Letters

Grant A. Brown

Sounding Board

Edmonton Journal - Cityplus

Council pay 'inadequate': But you don't do the job for the money, says one former councillor

Edmonton Journal - News

Gordon Kent

Letters to the Editor column

The Edmonton Sun - Editorial/Opinion

Venting: /vent*ing/ v.t. to give free play or expression to an emotion or passion

Edmonton Journal - Cityplus

Compiled By Terry McConnell

Venting: /vent*ing/ v.t. to give free play or expression to an emotion or passion

Edmonton Journal - Cityplus

Compiled By Terry McConnell

Six-figure Steve!; Mandel near top of payroll of canada's mayors

Publication: The Edmonton Sun

Date: Tuesday, March 28, 2006

Page: 4

Section: News

Byline: By Frank Landry, City Hall Bureau

Source:

Story Type:

Length: 404 Words

Mayor Stephen Mandel is among the highest-paid city leaders in the country.

Mandel's after-tax income is $100,324 a year, according to new figures released yesterday by the Canadian Taxpayers Federation.

That's more than the $96,119 the mayor of Canada's largest city, Toronto's David Miller, rakes in after paying off the taxman.

Ottawa's mayor takes home $91,908, Winnipeg's top dog collects $85,487 and Vancouver's mayor makes $82,456 after tax.

The big winner, however, is Calgary Mayor Dave Bronconnier, who makes $108,992 after taxes.

The figures are part of a submission made by the taxpayer watchdog group to a committee looking at how Edmonton city council members should be compensated.

Scott Hennig, the CTF's Alberta director, said judging by what he's found, city council doesn't deserve a hefty pay hike.

"Looking across Canada, it's impossible to say our current council is underpaid," he said. "Obviously, it's more than generous."

Mayor Mandel said he hasn't asked for a pay raise and is compensated adequately for his work.

"Have you ever heard me say I want a raise?" he told the Sun.

City councillors, meanwhile, take home about $55,000 annually after tax, more than their counterparts in Winnipeg and Ottawa but less than those in Calgary and Toronto.

The Independent Council Compensation Committee has to report back to council by May 26 with recommendations on how to award future pay increases. Council is now given a yearly pay boost based on the average weekly earnings of Albertans. This year that amounted to almost 6%.

Hennig said the committee should make it easier for Edmontonians to understand how much the mayor and councillors really make.

Mandel's "advertised" salary is $121,821 per year, but one-third of that is tax free, he said. Factoring in other benefits - like a monthly car allowance and RSP contributions - brings his pay up to $167,870 before tax, Hennig said.

"The bottom line is, elected officials should be subject to the same tax laws as the people they govern," Hennig said.

Mandel said he didn't "want to comment too much" because he's awaiting the compensation report like everyone else. But he suggested it's easy to figure out how much he makes.

"I hope the (CTF) has the capacity to be able to calculate what one-third taxation means," Mandel said.

Coun. Mike Nickel said he would have no problem with seeing detailed council salaries reported by the city.

The Independent Council Compensation Committee meets Thursday.

Illustration:

• photo of STEPHEN MANDEL

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Councillors'pay should be modest

Publication: Edmonton Journal

Date: Saturday, March 25, 2006

Page: A18

Section: News

Byline: Joe Mahoney Jr.

Source: The Edmonton Journal

Story Type: Letter

Length: 131 Words

I disagree with Rita Mildon, "Councillors deserve at least as much as MLAs," Letters, March 21, and Shauna Warwick, "Councillors earn keep," Letters, March 22.

I agree that city councillors do put in long hours of service to the community. But any comparison drawn between this position and that of an executive of a private, for-profit corporation is outright hogwash!

These elected officials do not occupy such positions to make a profit for themselves. Rather, they are there to unselfishly serve and reflect the taxpayers in their community. Hence, Edmonton does not need full-time councillors with exorbitant salaries and perquisites.

The position of councillor should be a part-time position with a per-diem allowance of $250 for each day of city council meetings but with no additional benefits.

Joe Mahoney Jr., Edmonton

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Councillors earn keep

Publication: Edmonton Journal

Date: Wednesday, March 22, 2006

Page: A18

Section: Opinion

Byline: Shauna Warwick

Source: The Edmonton Journal

Story Type: Letter

Length: 152 Words

City councillors have a tough job -- essentially, they are running and managing a multimillion-dollar corporation. Would you pay a company executive only $63,000 a year to run your multimillion-dollar company? I think not.

If we as Edmontonians expect our city to be the best it can be, we need to pay the people who lead to get us there fairly and appropriately. Anyone in the private sector performing a similar role would be paid way more! We need to pay enough to attract the types of leaders that will make Edmonton the best place to live.

Remember, these people are managing our money and our assets. Why is it that we don't want to attract the talent and leadership to ensure that they are managed effectively? I know first hand that city councillors work very hard, harder than most people I know. They deserve to be compensated fairly.

Shauna Warwick, Edmonton

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Councillors deserve at least as much as MLAs

Publication: Edmonton Journal

Date: Tuesday, March 21, 2006

Page: A19

Section: Letters

Byline: Rita Mildon

Source: The Edmonton Journal

Story Type: Letter

Length: 154 Words

It would be too easy to criticize any request by the members of City Council for a raise. But, as the president of a large community league, I can tell you they easily earn every penny they are currently paid.

We frequently have one or both of our councillors at our community league meetings, and there are over 20 communities in our ward. When a member of our executive attends an evening committee meeting or planning session it is unusual not to see a member of council at the table.

Edmonton's wards are huge, twice the size of provincial constituencies. I have seen firsthand that our councillors work very hard, and very long hours. Edmonton is a well-run multibillion-dollar corporation. Tax increases are low. Spending is well-planned and controlled. The pay of a councillor should -- at a bare minimum -- match the $78,000 paid to our MLAs.

Rita Mildon, president, Parkview Community League

Illustration:

• Photo: The Canadian Press, file / Turks and Caicos Islands -- still for sale?

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Just do it!

Publication: Edmonton Journal

Date: Sunday, March 19, 2006

Page: A19

Section: Letters

Byline: Dawn Finnigan

Source: The Edmonton Journal

Story Type: Letter

Length: 40 Words

City councillors have already received their pay raise -- it's the one-third of their salary and car allowance that's tax-free. They need to stop whining, thank their lucky stars and do the job they wanted to do!

Dawn Finnigan, Edmonton

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Does Klein's praise warm mayor's heart?

Publication: Edmonton Journal

Date: Sunday, March 19, 2006

Page: A18

Section: Opinion

Byline:

Source: The Edmonton Journal

Story Type: Editorial

Length: 901 Words

Stephen Mandel has been a good little mayor who doesn't ask for much, Ralph Klein said this week, pointedly comparing him to that Harley-riding bad boy Dave Bronconnier down in Calgary.

Just imagine how thrilled Mandel must have been by this endorsement -- the way Klein would have been thrilled if Jean Chretien had told Albertans from time to time that Ralph was his favourite -- the one provincial premier he could count on not to grumble or make demands.

Apparently with a straight face, Klein said: "I find you attract more flies through honey than vinegar." Leaving aside the question of whether flies are what Edmonton needs to attract more of from the senior level of government, Mandel would be forgiven for wondering when, exactly, our premier found that honey was the best approach.

HOW MANY THINK THEY DON'T DESERVE A RAISE?

Edmonton Councillors do seem to be underpaid compared to Canadian big-city counterparts.

And they do work longer hours, conduct business for more of the year, tackle more duties, and tackle them with more real personal responsibility than most MLAs labouring under party discipline.

Given the growth in the number of constituents, the problems councillors must deal with related to that growth, and the long-term decline in help they get from the province, a case may legitimately be made to give them a higher-than-inflation pay raise from time to time.

But as a recent leaked survey of councillors reminds us, the recipients of a salary aren't always the best judge. Indeed, given how most of us would answer the question "Are you paid enough?" it's actually kind of impressive that of the 12 (of 13) councillors who replied, only five suggested they were unhappy or very unhappy with their pay. Most at least respect that raises would ding the taxpayer, whose dollars they are elected to spend wisely.

Salaries are best managed through recommendations of a committee of outsiders, as Edmonton wisely handles the matter, with councillors' opinions just one piece of input.

Who knows, adding an extra ward or two to spread out the work among more councillors might be part of the solution -- as Coun. Ed Gibbons perhaps unwittingly pointed out by arguing the huge size of his ward should be considered in settling the salary question.

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City councillors are already well paid

Publication: Edmonton Journal

Date: Sunday, March 19, 2006

Page: A19

Section: Letters

Byline: Grant A. Brown

Source: The Edmonton Journal

Story Type: Letter

Length: 55 Words

Re: "Councillors want raise: City council members feel $63,600 isn't enough for 60-hour weeks," The Journal, March 17.

Why do city councillors get one-third of their salary and perks tax-free? What a scam! If politicians had to pay taxes like the rest of us, they might think twice before increasing them.

Grant A. Brown, Edmonton

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Sounding Board

Publication: Edmonton Journal

Date: Saturday, March 18, 2006

Page: B12

Section: Cityplus

Byline:

Source: The Edmonton Journal

Story Type: News

Length: 691 Words

A survey of Edmonton city councillors made public this week indicates many of them feel they are underpaid considering the number of hours they put in. Here's what some readers thought:

- I do not think council members need more pay; comparisons with other Canadian cities are favourable. City council spends too much time on trivial matters that should be handled by a competent city administration as a matter of regular business. I cite a council committee a few years ago spending two hours debating a $25,000 annual piece of business on where Journal and Sun newspaper boxes should be placed on the street. City council members should get rid of the administrative trivia that they deal with and get down to the basics of setting sound policy and then go home.

-- Phillip H. Walker

- Public service is one thing, 60- to 100-hour weeks are something else again. The job of city councillor is in part public service, but another (rather large) part is a job not unlike any other in government. We try to get the best managers, deputy ministers, etc., in the administration by adequately compensating them, so why not do the same for the political types as well? If you want the best you need to pay for the best, and not just settle for those that feel money isn't an issue.

-- Jeff Price

- I sure would like to have made $60,000 plus all the perks that they get when I was working. All these people know the pros and cons when they run for council, so I do not think they should get a raise.

-- Audrey Kana

- I have been in the workforce for 27 years in a relatively well-paying and professional field. I don't get those kind of perks. I don't make $63,000 a year, I don't have a car allowance and I certainly don't have one-third of my pay as tax-free. Only four per cent of my salary goes to my pension and when I retire I'm certainly not going to get six months' severance pay! Do I think councillors have a tough, demanding and busy job? Yes, and they deserve fair compensation, but that does not mean that they should be able to retire after a short period of service. With their present salary and benefit structure, they are already fairly compensated.

-- Lyn Palindat

- It really bothers me when our councillors start whining about their pay. They ran for the position voluntarily knowing very well what the hours and the pay would be ... I consider $63,600 a year with a portion of it tax-free as well as bonuses and allowances quite adequate for what they do. If they are not satisfied, then it is a simple matter to submit their resignation and allow a person who is willing to do the job for the money to take over for them. As for the severance pay, two weeks' pay for each year served is very adequate. I received one week's pay for every year served when I retired and I was well satisfied with that.

-- M.N.A. Welwood

- I ask all the councillors to answer the question "Why did you take this job?" If you are finding it too hard to balance the workload because you have no time left to run your car dealership, or the people you used to work with are now making more than you, please feel free to leave. There are plenty of single mothers, mailmen, teachers and others who might be happy to put their existing jobs aside for a paltry $63,000. I can only imagine the trouble that councillors encounter with all the taxing public events, many of which involve free tickets to opening nights, performances and dinners that the rest of the populace has to pay for. I can appreciate that a busy social life can be tiresome, but from those of us who work longer days without overtime and have no time left for a personal life, there is little sympathy for those who complain of eating cake while we are left the crumbs.

-- Richard Stuart

Illustration:

• Photo: Rick MacWilliam, The Journal, file / Many councillors have said they are not fairly compensated for their workload.

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Council pay 'inadequate': But you don't do the job for the money, says one former councillor

Publication: Edmonton Journal

Date: Friday, March 17, 2006

Page: A3

Section: News

Byline: Gordon Kent

Source: The Edmonton Journal

Story Type: Business

Length: 770 Words

EDMONTON - The salary is disappointing, the pension isn't great and the severance pay can be "miserable" -- so says an anonymous survey that shows many city councillors aren't thrilled with their compensation.

Most councillors feel their duties are comparable to those of a provincial cabinet minister, with half saying they spend more than 60 hours a week on the job and one claiming a crushing workload of up to 100 hours a week.

Three-quarters of councillors report going to official social functions two or three nights a week, as well as attending more events at least two weekends a month.

One council member wrote on the anonymous questionnaire that their wages "should be comparable to a backbencher MLA at the very least. (Pay is) inadequate for the workload and responsibilities."

Coun. Ed Gibbons says he represents more people and a larger area in Ward 3, which he shares with fellow councillor Janice Melnychuk, than he did as a Liberal MLA in 1997-2001.

"Compared to where I was before as an MLA, I'm 10 times busier," he said Thursday.

"We handle much broader issues, we handle more issues, more people want to see us. In my ward, we have four MLAs ... (and) two MPs."

Alberta cabinet ministers earn $123,000, compared to $67,700 for an MLA and $63,600 for an Edmonton city councillor.

A portion of all the salaries is tax free.

Twelve of the 13 council members filled out the February survey, which is being used by a volunteer committee making recommendations on council remuneration.

Five respondents ranked their salary satisfaction as one or two out of five, on a scale where one is lowest and five is highest.

Seven were equally unhappy with the pension contribution they receive, and five gave the same thumbs-down to their severance package.

Councillors leaving office get two weeks salary for each year served after October 2001, to a maximum of six months pay, leading one councillor to write "What a miserable send-off!"

However, on average the group was content with the car allowance and benefits, as well as the $300 bonus each earns for the month spent as deputy mayor.

Gibbons is interested in improving pensions and car allowances, but doesn't think this is the time for big wage hikes, because council pay has gone up annually at the same rate as have Albertan's weekly earnings.

"We pushed the (compensation committee) to come back in May instead of waiting to next year, when the election is on the horizon and nobody makes a sensible decision."

Coun. Mike Nickel said councillors attend as many events as cabinet ministers and, without a legislature and caucus to help them, have greater responsibilities.

But he doesn't think civic politicians need a higher income.

"This will provide a rationalization for the people who think we should make more money, but it's never been about the workload for me. It's been about public service."

Former councillor and MLA Lance White is a citizen representative on the compensation committee, which also has one member each from business, labour, the judiciary and the University of Alberta.

He feels councillors should probably be paid a salary that makes up for interrupting their "income earning" years, rather than attempting to match what the position would be worth in the private sector.

"A councillor's workload is quite heavy and exceedingly onerous, but you don't do the job for the pay."

However, the committee will probably look closely at the pension and severance plans, said White, now working as a consulting engineer.

The committee is seeking input from the public until March 27. It's scheduled to make a final report by May 26.

gkent@thejournal.

WHAT THEY MAKE

- Edmonton mayor: $121,820 (one-third tax free), choice of city-owned vehicle or car allowance.

- Edmonton councillor: $63,638.06 (one-third tax free), $400 per month (one-third tax free) car allowance.

- Both positions provide health and dental benefits. As well, six per cent of the salary (one-third tax free) goes to retirement benefits, and when they leave office they get two weeks salary for each year served since 2001, to a maximum of six months salary.

- Councillors on the library board and the Alberta Urban Municipalities Association can also receive $40 to $195 per meeting, though some don't accept it.

- Calgary: mayor $133,200; councillor $66,600.

- Vancouver: mayor $119,000; councillor $52,400.

- Winnipeg: mayor $105,900; councillor $56,500.

- Toronto: mayor $147,900; councillor $87,200.

- Ottawa: mayor $140,000; councillor $70,000.

Sounding Board

You make the call: Do you think city council members deserve more pay? E-mail your comments to city@thejournal.

. A selection of comments will be published.

Illustration:

• Colour Photo: Journal Stock / (See hard copy for photo description.)

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Letters to the editor column

Publication: The Edmonton Sun

Date: Monday, March 13, 2006

Page: 10

Section: Editorial/Opinion

Byline:

Source:

Story Type:

Length: 536 Words

RE: "CAN'T afford two more," editorial, March 10. I swear, something is different in the brain matter of a politician! First they raise our taxes, then they give themselves a raise, and now they want more city councillors! It's almost funny, it's so ridiculous!

C. Blundell

(Let's see what they decide.)

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Venting: /vent*ing/ v.t. to give free play or expression to an emotion or passion

Publication: Edmonton Journal

Date: Tuesday, March 21, 2006

Page: B2

Section: Cityplus

Byline: Compiled By Terry McConnell

Source: The Edmonton Journal

Story Type: News

Length: 702 Words

- If we do not pay a decent wage, we will not attract suitable candidates for city council. I want to see competent councillors from a wide variety of backgrounds and we need to pay respectable salaries to ensure that.

- AISH recipients live on $1,000 a month with no car allowance. Don't tell me city councillors can't live on $5,000 a month. If they aren't happy with the money, they should try working fewer hours.

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Venting: /vent*ing/ v.t. to give free play or expression to an emotion or passion

Publication: Edmonton Journal

Date: Saturday, March 18, 2006

Page: B2

Section: Cityplus

Byline: Compiled By Terry McConnell

Source: The Edmonton Journal

Story Type: News

Length: 670 Words

- Now we know how the city councillors intend to spend the surplus money -- on themselves.

- Do we want city councillors to be there for the love of the job or the love of the paycheque?

.

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