Hefty raises on the way for new Tantramar mayor and council
There are big changes ahead for how mayors and municipal councillors are compensated in New Brunswick.
In the new town of Tantramar, the salaries for mayor, deputy mayor and seven town councillors will be roughly triple that of current salaries for Sackville town council. That’s according to numbers published recently by the department of local government.
The new mayor of Tantramar, to be elected on November 28, will make about $47,000 per year, that’s a $32,000 raise compared to the current Sackville mayor, who gets about $15,000 per year.
Councillors in the new town will get $23,650 per year, an increase of $15,000 over the current rate of compensation for Sackville councillors, which is about $8,000.
Tantramar’s deputy mayor, elected by the new council sometime after November 28, will make just over $28,000. That’s roughly $19,000 more than the current Sackville deputy mayor.
Tantramar is larger than Sackville both by population and physical size. The new municipality has a tax base of just over $1 billion. The 2021 tax base for the town of Sackville was about $662 million.
While the province has ultimate authority in all municipal matters regarding the new town of Tantramar, the recommendation to triple salaries came from the local elected officials advisory committee, which is made up of:
- Sackville mayor Shawn Mesheau
- Sackville town councillor Matt Estabrooks
- Dorchester deputy mayor Robert Corkerton
- Dorchester mayor Debbie Wiggins-Colwell
- Pointe de Bute LSD representative Mary Ellen Trueman
- Pointe de Bute LSD representative Greg Martin
- Sackville LSD representative Chris Milner
- Dorchester LSD representative Matt Beal
So far, all but Mary Ellen Trueman, Chris Milner, and Matt Beal have put their names forward as candidates for November 28 elections.… Continue
New Tantramar CAO could be hired by end of month, says province
A committee has been struck to give a recommendation on the hiring of the new town of Tantramar’s Chief Administrative Officer. Sackville Deputy Mayor Andrew Black, Dorchester Deputy Mayor Robert Corkerton and local service district resident Chris Milner have been selected to sit on the committee.
The province has also hired HR consultant Jennifer Murray Consulting to oversee the hiring process and assess candidates across the province.
Based on feedback from Jennifer Murray Consulting and the hiring committee, amalgamation facilitator Chad Peters will submit a recommendation to the provincial department of local government. Department spokesperson Anne Mooers says the process is underway and should be completed by the end of the month.
Elected councils typically head up the hiring of a CAO, and the CAO then handles hiring of all other municipal staff. But there won’t be an elected council for the town of Tantramar until the municipal election on November 28, so the provincial department of local government will make the final decision on who will head up the town of Tantramar, along with all other amalgamated municipalities in the province.
Both Sackville and Dorchester have existing CAOs, with Jamie Burke in the top job for Sackville, and Jennifer Borne heading up the village of Dorchester.… Continue