Regional district director wants board to hold off on planned raises for politicians

A regional district director wants to stand alongside those suffering from the economic fallout of the COVID-19 pandemic in a director’s motion to come before the board today.

Regional District of Okanagan-Similkameen Area G director Tim Roberts plans to present a director’s notice of motion to hold off on recently approved raises for regional district directors at the regular board meeting today, April 16.

“My motion was made with a desire to express solidarity with those struggling in these challenging times, while understanding that in the big picture this will not make a substantial budgetary difference,” he said in a statement.

Roberts said local government must support its infrastructure and workforce with an eye to coming out from under this present uncertainty while maintaining the present infrastructure, water, sewer, solid waste and services we expect.

“Knowing this I had thought the gesture of holding off for 2020 with the remuneration, which was put in place to cover the loss of the partial federal tax exemption on our stipend, was something we could do,” Robert said.

The raise would see board members receive an 11.9 per cent increase, effective January 1. A rural director’s remuneration would increase by around $2,600, adding $60,000 to the regional district’s annual budget and another $1.11 to the average regional district residence’s tax bill.

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