letter to PRRD board members regarding pay increases being considered

Here is a copy of a letter I sent to the PRRD board members and senior staff, and to the editor of the Powell River Peak.

Hello PRRD directors and senior staff,

I realize that I am an individual taxpayer and voter, and I want to express my surprise and disappointment that you are considering giving yourselves a relatively substantial increase in remuneration at this time.  I have a few main reasons for asking you to postpone the increase, and to limit it.

First, you each signed on for this term at the old rate of remuneration, and you should be prepared to serve at that rate. It is common for boards to make decisions on increases in remuneration for the next board members, following an election. For sure, some current board members will choose to run again, and might be re-elected, and so might receive the increased rate of pay for their service. This should be standard practice, instead of giving yourselves a raise now, and enjoying it for 3.5 years, in the full expectation that electors will not remember that you increased your own pay near the beginning of your term.

Secondly, I am concerned that you want your pay to be equal to or greater than 3/4 of all elected positions in the neighbouring local governments that you surveyed. It seems to me that this can easily lead to an ongoing spiral within the region, if each board decides to accept such a principle of pay-setting.

Finally, in comparing the remuneration of Lasqueti's Area E regional director (expected to increase to about 17,000) with the remuneration for our locally elected Islands Trustee ($8,000 plus medical/dental benefits amounting to nearly $2,000, for a total of $10,000), it seems that the PRRD remuneration is already very high, and getting higher. Or perhaps the Islands Trust amounts (based on a formula involving numbers of residents, parcels, etc.) is too low.

I want you to know that I believe that serving in local government is to a huge degree community service, and that there should be some compensation, but I believe that it would be more seemly for you to be more reticent and modest in this regard. I ask that you postpone the decision, or if you don't want to do that, then make the decision now, but make it effective with the next board, following the election in 2018.

Thank you for considering this,

Peter Johnston
Lasqueti Island, BC
250-333-8785