Moncton approves pay hike for incoming mayor, council

Moncton's councillors, deputy mayor and mayor will get a pay raise in 2017 after city council approved a committee recommendation to boosting the amount of money paid to the city's politicians by roughly $100,000.

Frank Vandenburg, who chaired the committee that made the recommendation, said the pay raises are a way to encourage more people to run in municipal elections.

"If people are doing this we have to recognize approximately what they wouldn't be doing instead," he said.

Currently, Moncton councillors earn $24,789.72, but that amount will increase to $33,494.53 on Jan. 1, 2017.

The deputy mayor makes $28,539.72, which will jump to $37,244.53.

The city's next mayor will receive the largest pay increase, getting an increase of more than $14,000 that boosts the mayor's salary to $83,736.33.

Coun. Pierre Boudreau said it's a hard decision to vote for the increase, but he sees it as a worthwhile investment.

"Revised salaries … for councillors are in effect only $700 more than what councillors are paid in the city of Charlottetown," Boudreau said.

"And with all due respect to the city of Charlottetown, I would venture to say our workload here is sizably higher."

Raises approved by 6-5 vote

The motion to hike wages for the city's politicians was passed by a vote of 6 to 5.

Mayor George LeBlanc, who is not running in the May municipal election, and Coun Dawn Arnold, who is a candidate for mayor, were among those who voted against the pay increase.

Coun. Daniel Bourgeois said the pay increases are too late to make a difference in convincing more people to run in the May 9 election.

So he put forward a motion calling for the pay increases to come into force after 2020. That amendment, however, failed.

Full-time vs. part-time

All council positions are considered part-time positions, though the city's mayor said he'd like to see that changed.

"The position of mayor here is very much a full-time job, it takes a tremendous number of hours. [Moncton] has grown to require a full-time mayor," said LeBlanc.

Vandenberg said changing the time requirements of council positions was considered by the committee, but instead the committee recommended councillors keep a monthly log of hours and a committee can review the information next year.