WATCH: The latest move by the cash-strapped TransLink will do little to endear themselves to Metro Vancouver transit users. The transit organization has posted a job ad for its new CEO. Jennifer Palma has details.
Just weeks after cutting some of its top managers, the search is on for a new TransLink CEO. An online job posting shows the CEO will earn $319,244 per year plus an annual bonus of up to 30 per cent of base salary.
The job posting has critics asking if TransLink learned anything from the failed transit plebiscite.
“TransLink had promised the public that they were going to review the executive compensation and yet it’s virtually a carbon copy of what they pay the overpaid CEOs now,” said Jordan Bateman, BC Director of the Canadian Taxpayers Federation.
The new job posting reads:
This is a full time, permanent position with a salary of $319,244 plus an annual bonus up to 30% of base salary, six weeks of vacation, and a full benefits package which includes a $14,400 annual transportation allowance, a $2,500 annual wellness allowance, and a $1,200 annual parking allowance, as well as pension, health/medical/dental benefits, and relocation assistance.”
WATCH: An online job posting shows the CEO will earn an annual salary of almost $320,000.
And what about the bonus of up to 30 per cent, which could add up to as much as $95,000?
“The problem with the bonuses is that they actually violate provincial government policy,” said Bateman. “So Finance Minister Mike de Jong told the public sector ‘no more of these bonuses.’
“TransLink told us they were going to do that. They were going to move to what was called a roll-back. Now we see in the CEO posting that the bonuses are still there. That’s a big problem for TransLink because it’s going to get them in trouble with the provincial government.”
Transportation Minister Todd Stone said in a statement:
I am very disappointed to see the TransLink CEO compensation package outlined in the WorkBC posting.
The B.C. government agrees with the region’s taxpayers who resoundingly said in the recent plebiscite that they expect TransLink to be run as efficiently as possible. This must start with executive compensation.
We expect the compensation package of the next CEO to be significantly less than that of the previous CEO, and we urge the TransLink board to adopt and apply provincial executive compensation guidelines including with respect to the payment of bonuses.
When asked for comment, a spokesperson for TransLink wrote:
“We don’t have anyone available at this time to address that topic. We’ll try to get some information to you Monday.”
-With files from Catherine Urquhart
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