1174 replies to this topic

[Victoria Watcher]

2019:

 

 

According to the 2018 CRD Statement of Financial Information, councillor Ben Isitt received a total of $23,387 last year for his role as a member of the CRD board of directors and the Regional Water Supply Commission.

The same statement shows that councillor Geoff Young received $25,816 for being a member of the CRD board of directors, Regional Water Supply Commission, and the Royal and McPherson Theatres Society Advisory Committee.

Young also received a stipend of $400 for attending committee meetings held by the Capital Regional Emergency Service Telecommunications (CREST). For his role on the Victoria Regional Transit Commission until February 2019, he received $600. This brings Geoff Young’s total additional income for 2018 to around $26,816.

The council appointed board member for the Greater Victoria Harbour Authority, Laurel Collins, has since left her position to represent Victoria as an MP in Ottawa.

According to GVHA communications manager, Brian Cant, their 13 board members received 1.3% of the corporation’s growth revenue in 2018.

All together, this amounted to $186,801 last year which Cant says is not distributed evenly. He was not able to reveal how much individual board members received as remuneration due to privacy policies.

As an alternate member of the CRD board of directors, councillor Marianne Alto received $13,093. Councillor Charlayne Thornton-Joe served in the same position from January to October, and was also on the Regional Housing Trust Fund Commission – she received $200. This discrepancy most likely is a result of differences in the number of meetings attended by each councillor.

Councillor Sarah Potts is on the board of Cemetery Trustees of Greater Victoria which pays members $150 per meeting. In 2019 Potts attended 9 meetings, earning her $1,350 for that position.

For his role as a member of the CRD board of directors, CRD Arts Commission, and Royal and McPherson Theatres Society Advisory Committee, councillor Jeremy Loveday received $3,724 in 2018.

Finally, councillor Sharmarke Dubow attended one Victoria Regional Transit Commission meeting for the fiscal year ending in March 31st 2019, for which he received $150. He was appointed to the commission in February 2019.

Based on these calculations, here is what each councillor earns (approximately) in total per year:

• Geoff Young: $72,200
• Ben Isitt: $68,771
• Marianne Alto: $58,477
• Jeremy Loveday: $49,108
• Sarah Potts: $46,734
• Charlayne Thornton-Joe: $45,584
• Sharmarke Dubow: $45,534
• Laurel Collins: unknown

 

 

https://www.victoria...google_vignette

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 17 March 2024 - 01:28 AM.

[Victoria Watcher]

CRD:

 

 

[Victoria Watcher]

 

 

https://opendata.vic...2ebd507/explore

[Victoria Watcher]

https://twitter.com/...630938638959094

 

[Mike K.]

What is 1188641 BC Ltd as indicated by C. Loughton?

[Victoria Watcher]

What is 1188641 BC Ltd as indicated by C. Loughton?

 

I was just looking that up, can't find any significant details.

[Nparker]

Not surprisingly, Susan Kim is currently in the lead for 2024 Ben Isitt Memorial Worst CoV Councillor of The Year award. We still have to see what surprises the others bring this year, but at the moment Ms. Kim appears to be a shoo-in. As a previous winner, I am hoping Sharmarke Dubow will be able to attend the awards ceremony. If not, I am sure for the right fee he'd be willing to at least phone in his congratulations from somewhere.

Edited by Nparker, 17 March 2024 - 09:11 AM.

[Victoria Watcher]

 Sharmarke Dubow will be able to attend the awards ceremony. If not, I am sure for right fee he'd be willing to at least phone in his congratulations from somewhere.

 

You mean the master of public policy himself?

 

https://www.linkedin...nalSubdomain=uk

 

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 17 March 2024 - 08:58 AM.

[Victoria Watcher]

Council candidates knew the requirements

 

I was a candidate in the 2022 City of Victoria election. Every candidate clearly knew the stipend to be received and the time obligations required. This was posted clearly on the city website and was not a secret.

 

Successful candidates are saying that “this is a full-time job,” “I have student loans,” “this is tough on my family,” and “this is tough on my career.”

 

These woe-is-me arguments don’t cut it. Having held elected office in Victoria, I know that a candidate needs to understand the obligations of an elected office before seeking that office.

 

If you find that holding elected office has become too costly to your family life, finances/career, or you are spending too much time in exercising your elected responsibility, the correct action is to resign and the public can then have an opportunity to elect someone who can understand the obligations that are required to hold office and can meet those requirements.

 

This process that council has undertaken disgusts me, is wholly inappropriate, without public discussion, input or consent. This is blatant greed.

 

Again, all councillors knew the remuneration and requirements attached to being elected when they ran for office.

 

They should be ashamed.

 

 

Steve Orcherton

Victoria

 

 

 

https://www.timescol...nd-cons-8457275

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 18 March 2024 - 05:16 AM.

[Tony]

Council salaries need to be adjusted from time to time. However that adjustment is better made before an election and take effect after the election for the next council.

[Awaiting Juno]

So the province largely reduces their workload at the same time they seek a significant pay hike and a substantial improvement to their benefits packages. It's not really a 25% hike then is it? It's likely closer to a doubling of their hourly pay...

 

If it oinks like a pig, and feeds at the trough like a pig, it's a pig.

[Victoria Watcher]

Why did we buy a restaurant / nightclub building? If “the arts” can’t survive without this kind of government largess, they should fail.

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 18 March 2024 - 11:37 AM.

[Nparker]

...If it oinks like a pig, and feeds at the trough like a pig, it's a pig.

Stephen Andrew agrees with you.

[Victoria Watcher]

Dave Townsend?

[Awaiting Juno]

Why did we buy a restaurant / nightclub building? If “the arts” can’t survive without this kind of government largess, they should fail.

 

Because some services rendered during the last election are paid back in kind?

 

Because the city is really, really good at making good business decisions (how is the conference centre doing)?

 

Because if you're hiking taxes 8%"+ and 50% over 5 years, you need to have something to show for it?

[Harry]

But did they get the E-bikes?

[Victoria Watcher]

Marg Gardiner:

 

 

 

 

In my estimation, after being on council for 16 months, the standard council workload would be about 25 hours per week for 40-45 weeks. For CRD directors, the time commitment is greater. And for the mayor, significantly greater.

 

___________________________

 

 

Like many of the people I represent, I can always use the extra money. But this self-dealing salary increase is so outrageous in the face of the difficulties faced by Victorians that I cannot accept it.

 

I will be redirecting my salary increase to charitable organizations that are committed to improving the quality of life of Victorians.

 

And I urge Mayor Marianne Alto to stop the wink and nod to the five councillors behind this motion and join me in speaking out against it.

 

 

 

https://www.timescol...-levels-8468917

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 20 March 2024 - 04:04 AM.

[Victoria Watcher]

Five days after Victoria city councillors voted themselves a 25 per cent pay increase, it’s anything but old news.

 

Letters to the editor indicate the public is not finished making themselves heard.

 

The March 14 vote follows a report showing mayor and council salaries were below average compared with 18 other Canadian cities.

 

Mayor Marianne Alto and Councillors Stephen Hammond and Marg Gardiner voted against the hike, while Coun. Chris Coleman was absent.

 

Coun. Krista Loughton said she voted in favour because of the amount of work the job entails.

 

“We were given a staff report, and then we confirmed that council is a full-time but not a part-time job,” she said.

 

 

 

https://www.cheknews...e-vote-1195881/

[Mike K.]

CHEK receives letters to the editor?

[dasmo]

Ya. This is definitely a new problem! Probably requires more taxes to fix.