Beaver County Council keeps its per diem remuneration policy after some debate
Councillor Barry Bruce (Division 4) advocated strongly at Beaver County’s organizational meeting on Oct. 21 for a change in council remuneration policy from the current per diems to a fixed salary.
Bruce later clarified that the issue was not about getting more money but the public’s perception that councillors are motivated to attend meetings just to increase their pay.
Division 5 Councillor Dale Pederson said council should “hold the line” on pay increases as county staff have been asked to do, while Deputy Reeve Gene Hrabec (Division 3) said he “even thinks a decrease is okay.” He said council should “lead by example.”
Councillor Barry Bruce (Division 4) took exception to the comment regarding taking a pay decrease noting politicians in provincial and federal levels get much higher salaries than those on the municipal level.
County councillors average about $44,000 per year, and that goes down to the $35,000 range after taxes, he said. . . . contd.
