Sometimes the math formula is just confusing.
And that’s how Barrie council saw a formula to create a cost-of-living and incentive bonus for the next crop of city councillors.
Every four years, the city strikes a council compensation review committee to examine and compare the pay rates of the mayor and councillors with other communities.
And this year, the committee recommended a 6.8 per cent increase (which equals $2,148) to $33,814 for councillors and status quo, $93,729, for the mayor – rates that would be impacted by a proposed “economic adjustment”.
That’s a simple way of describing a complex mathematical formula that considered the unemployment rate in the census metropolitan area and how it compares to the Ontario rate, plus any increase awarded to non-union staff.
So council nixed the formula.
But nixing the formula, created by a series of specially-recruited citizens over the past six months, wasn’t the only thing councillors had to say.
“I actually think the committee tried to reinvent the wheel,” said Ward 9 Coun. Sergio Morales. “By taking that (economic adjustment) out, it takes us back to square one.”
Ward 3 Coun. Doug Shipley said he doesn’t like the idea of a performance incentive for politicians.
“I’m all for the private sector getting a bonus, but I don’t think the public would support councillors getting a bonus,” Shipley said.
Mayor Jeff Lehman said the economic adjustment, which he described as “novel”, it would be unworkable.
He said attracting jobs – thereby theoretically reducing the unemployment rate – is only one of the city’s strategic priorities and citizens should look at overall performance. Those four priority areas are building a vibrant business community, an inclusive community, responsible spending and well-planned transportation.
“Are you succeeding on affordable housing? On transportation?” Lehman said of some of the smaller goals the city is using to gauge its progress.
He noted the census metropolitan area includes Innisfil and southern Springwater, which he estimates adds another 50,000 people.
“It gets a little complex and it’s not the best choice of approach,” he said.
The pay increase for councillors will boost taxpayers’ bill for councillors by $85,920 over the four-year term that begins in October 2018.
The mayor, however, will be able to collect an honorarium awarded by Alectra (the larger utility that includes the former PowerStream). Several years ago, council nixed any additional income for councillors serving on boards, including the hydro distribution company.
