City councillors keep 5 per cent pay raise, for now

CALGARY – City council has decided to keep it’s 5.35 per cent pay hike that kicked in at the beginning of the year.

Ward 10 Councillor Andre Chabot put an urgent motion forth Monday to cut the increase to three per cent, which is more in line with what the city pays its unionized workers.

Council decided not to discuss the issue since another panel is currently reviewing their pay.

“We’re trying to keep it down to something that is considered to be a reasonable,” says Councillor Chabot. “Local, regional kind of increase is more indicative of what Calgarians would find acceptable.”

Some councillors say they don’t want to meddle with the present formula for their salary adjustments, based on Statistics Canada’s average weekly earnings.

The increase brings a city councillors salary to just over $107,000 annually, one of the highest amoung civic politicians in Canada.

The mayor is paid just over $200,000.

City hall settled with its largest unions last summer for annual increases of three per cent in 2012 and 2013. The city’s general managers are also in line for the same amount.

An independent report is expected at some point this month.