1174 replies to this topic

[Mike K.]

Public hearings going away is a provincial mandate, not a municipal one.

Andrew Weaver has chimed in:

After reading this, it became clear to me that this Councillor needs to go. The sickening privilege, tone-deafness and "I know what is good for you" attitude made me literally want to throw up. Comment: Higher pay for councillors is in the public interest.

- https://x.com/ajwvic...LNt72cvXf0yWpgg

[Nparker]

Here is the latest from the change.org petition

Current status of the petition

[Victoria Watcher]

Hammond:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Comment: Still time for sober second thought by Victoria council

 

Mayor Marianne Alto practically begged (my word) Jeremy Caradonna to table his amendment so council could give the huge pay increase some sober thought.

 

 

 

 

 

 

https://www.timescol...council-8521059

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 28 March 2024 - 02:42 AM.

[Nparker]

It's a shame there are so few members of the CoV Council with Mr. Hammond's level of common sense.

[Awaiting Juno]

It's a shame there are so few members of the CoV Council with Mr. Hammond's level of common sense.

 

It is a shame. We live in awful times where those who have experience, who have foot prints in the world, have those same footprints used against them. So we wind up with people who have carefully curated their footprints or who lack the experience and judgement needed - because anyone else has what they've said or done, taken completely out of context and weaponized. There are entire armies of trolls aimed at those brave enough to volunteer, scouring everything they've ever said or done - and only the useful puppets remain.

[Nparker]

It is especially galling when those puppets are delivered into local public office as a result of union/large political party "assistance".

[dasmo]

It is a shame. We live in awful times where those who have experience, who have foot prints in the world, have those same footprints used against them. So we wind up with people who have carefully curated their footprints or who lack the experience and judgement needed - because anyone else has what they've said or done, taken completely out of context and weaponized. There are entire armies of trolls aimed at those brave enough to volunteer, scouring everything they've ever said or done - and only the useful puppets remain.

At all levels of government. 

[spanky123]

It's a shame there are so few members of the CoV Council with Mr. Hammond's level of common sense.

 

I wonder if Hammond will refuse the pay increase if this passes.

[Nparker]

Perhaps he will choose to direct it to charity as Marg Gardner has said she will do.

[Mike P.]

I'm wondering if other municipalities are looking at Victoria as an example. Kelowna council just voted themselves a 35% increase (40% of the Mayor's compensation).

"The increase, recommended in a report by outgoing city clerk Stephen Fleming, will see Mayor Tom Dyas receive a 15 per cent remuneration bump from $126,497 to $145,200 annually while councillors would get an increase of 35 per cent from $42,991 to $58,080 per year."

Edited by Mike P., 28 March 2024 - 04:49 PM.

[Nparker]

I'm wondering if other municipalities are looking at Victoria as an example...

As my father used to say, "Even the most useless person can serve as a bad example to others".

[Hotel Mike]

It seems that there is a simple solution. There should be an independent, non-political body that determines municipal council pay.

[Victoria Watcher]

It should just be set at 95% of the average council pays for every municipality across the country within 5 thousand people population either way.

Period.

No mass study required.

That’s the going rate. Take it or don’t run.

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 29 March 2024 - 10:10 AM.

[aastra]

 

I'm wondering if other municipalities are looking at Victoria as an example.

 

Politicians voting themselves raises (or not) has been a template controversy pretty much everywhere for ~60 years, at least.

[Victoria Watcher]

$125-a-head, 3-course Empress banquet reimbursed for Victoria councillors



As residents continue to face stubbornly high food prices, some Victoria councillors are getting reimbursed for a more than $125 dinner at an upcoming conference in the city they govern.

It’s among the items making up the more-than $400 price tags for council members to attend the Association of Vancouver Island and Coastal Communities (AVICC) convention that will be held in Victoria from April 12 to 14.

The reimbursement requests – which could end up costing over $4,000 in total if all councillors attend – have also been submitted as the capital city politicians voted to give themselves a 25-per-cent raise this term.

Council passed a motion in February approving all of its members be reimbursed for AVICC’s $400 “early bird” registration fee, should they choose to attend the conference taking place in their city.

But on top of that, taking part in other aspects of the convention involves additional costs and councillors in recent weeks have been coming forward individually with motions requesting they also be made whole for those funds. Victoria’s council remuneration bylaw states the mayor and councillors must be paid for their travel expenses and while representing the city at a meeting or convention.

One councillor’s only additional reimbursement request is the Saturday night $125-per-head delegate banquet and their overall conference costs, with taxes, come in at $551. That rises for several councillors taking part in workshops and field trips – like one to Metchosin farms – that come with additional fees.

https://www.vicnews....cillors-7336277


A “platinum” sponsor of the banquet is the British Columbia Lottery Corporation (BCLC), the Crown corporation under the Ministry of Finance’s purview that’s responsible for managing gambling in the province. Black Press Media asked the ministry and BCLC how much went into sponsoring the banquet and whether those funds could’ve been better used to support B.C. residents.

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 01 April 2024 - 03:18 PM.

[Nparker]

We need the names of the hypocritical, champagne socialists.

[aastra]

 

That rises for several councillors taking part in workshops and field trips – like one to Metchosin farms – that come with additional fees.

 

CoV politicians can hardly be expected to do their jobs well if they miss out on stuff like a field trip to see farms in Metchosin.

[Victoria Watcher]

A Victoria councillor has put forward a motion to send a letter to the Greater Victoria School District (SD 61) asking for school liaison officers to be reinstated.

 

Last year, the Greater Victoria School District (SD 61) board voted to remove school liaison officers from its schools, citing the lack of oversight the district has over officers that enter the schools as an issue.

 

“One of the challenges from an accountability perspective is that the district, we don’t direct the work of the police, so where there’s concern or complaints there is a lack of clarity and clear process of how that would be dealt with,” said Nicole Duncan, chair of the school board said in May 2023 during the meeting where the program was ended.

 

“In theory, an individual would have to go down possibly multiple complaints tracks, both complaining through the appropriate police complaints process and then simply complaining using the district process as well. It’s unclear what remedy, if any, the district could offer because again, our mandate is not to oversee the police.”

 

___________________

 

A council member motion from Coun. Marg Gardiner may see Victoria joining the ranks of those calling for the return of the program.

 

 

 

https://www.cheknews...-sd-61-1197511/

 

 

 

Seems futile, the Fernwood Mafia will not support this.

[Victoria Watcher]

25% pay raise for Victoria councillors is on hold

 

A task force will be appointed to make recommendations on pay. Councillors had voted 5-3 to raise their own pay, sparking a storm of criticism.

 

https://www.timescol...on-hold-8556143

 

 

 

 

 

Council voted unanimously to have city manager Jocelyn Jenkins strike a task force that will be overseen by a senior city official and include a diverse group of community, non-profit, labour, government and business leaders.

 

The task force, which will be expected to provide a report and recommendations by July 1, will review the city’s decision on pay and benefits, meet with councillors to determine time commitments for city work, determine salary and benefit adjustments and when those adjustments should take effect.

 

Coun. Krista Loughton said it was clear the public was surprised by the vote on March 14.

 

“For that I apologize,” she said, adding she voted for the change in pay structure at the time because the city had not had a remuneration review since 2008. “I also wanted to ensure that council’s remuneration was not a deterrent to running for office for lower-income people.”

 

_____________________________

 

Coun. Dave Thompson, who also voted in favour of the increase, said he agrees no councillor should be in the position to vote on their own pay and that he will bring a motion to council to have the mayor write to the province to change the council compensation approval process, to remove council from making decisions on their own compensation.

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 04 April 2024 - 07:26 PM.

[Matt R.]

What’s the budget for the task force? You really think they will recommend a “no”?