‘That’s part of our responsibilities’: Metro Vancouver board chair defends self-assigned raise

Port Coquitlam’s mayor is defending the controversial decision by the Metro Vancouver Regional District Board to quietly approve a one-time retirement allowance and pay increase.

Greg Moore, who also chairs the board, says this is one of the more difficult decisions an elected official has to make.

“This is probably one of the worst jobs that we have to do as elected officials, is look at our own remuneration,” Moore said. “But that’s part of our responsibilities as locally elected officials.”

He said for those who don’t get re-elected, having that retirement allowance will allow them to transition back to a career or get training.

“It’s not like anybody goes into politics to get rich, they go into it to serve their community,” he said, while pointing out the pay increase will help attract good candidates to council.

As for accusations that the motion was approved quietly, Moore said everything was recorded.

“Let’s not forget this whole thing is live streamed, it’s not like we’re trying to do this in the back corners of a council chamber.”

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He understands decisions like these lead to disagreements but Moore says they have to be made.

“I think that the only thing that would really make people happy is if we cancelled the whole thing and took a pay cut on the one third as well,” he said.

Until recently, members of the board – which is made up of Metro Vancouver mayors and city councillors – were able to claim a portion of their income tax-free. But the Canada Revenue Agency recently deemed it a taxable benefit, which led to the vote of the one-time pay increase to compensate for the new rules.

Moore said he welcomes a public debate about other ways the board could approach the issue.

Salary increase for Port Coquitlam council 

Following the board’s vote, Port Coquitlam council voted to boost the mayor’s remuneration by $25,050 and councillors’ by $5,115 on Tuesday. The vote was also intended to “offset to address the elimination of Municipal Officers’ Allowance.”

“That Finance and Budget Committee recommend to Council, that the remuneration for the mayor and councillors receive an adjustment effective January, 2019,” reads a report from staff.

Net pay for Port Coquitlam’s mayor is currently about $87,000. It would have fallen to $74,000 if council hadn’t approved the increase in remuneration.

• With files from Jesse Ferreras