Do you know how much your mayor and city councillors make?
There’s a push at Vancouver City Hall for full transparency surrounding all their sources of income — not just council members’ salaries, but all their per diems, stipends, travel allowances and other reimbursements, along with what they make serving on other regional councils and organizations such as Metro Vancouver, TransLink and the Union of BC Municipalities.
CLICK HERE TO LISTEN TO 1130 NEWSRADIO VANCOUVER LIVE!Vancouver Mayor Ken Sim is set to table a motion Wednesday that, if passed, would direct city staff to publish an annual report detailing all compensation for every city council member that comes from a publicly funded organization.
“Transparency, accountability, and responsible stewardship of public funds are essential principles in maintaining the public’s trust,” states Sim’s motion.
“The public, media, and even fellow elected officials may currently find it difficult to obtain a full accounting of the total compensation received by elected representatives across all their publicly funded roles, due to inconsistent or inaccessible reporting standards across organizations.”
The motion suggests putting a spotlight on the full compensation associated with elected office, “serves to prevent conflicts of interest, and ensure that compensation remains appropriate, justified, and commensurate with public expectations and the responsibilities involved.”
Last month, Vancouver City Hall faced criticism for not being transparent about ex-city manager Paul Mochrie’s severance pay for his July departure.
Sim’s motion would not cover that situation as it only concerns elected council members, not city bureaucrats.