The town of Tantramar’s mayor and council might make more money than current elected officials in Sackville.
A draft copy of a potential salary range for elected officials was circulated recently to Sackville councillors, and seems to indicate that raises are in order for Tantramar officials over their Sackville counterparts. The provincial analysis is, “aimed at providing guidance to transition leaders and community leaders,” according to another provincial document.
For towns with a population between 5,000 and 10,000, the provincial formula came up with a median salary for mayors of $22,000, and a median salary for councillors of $8,800.
Currently, the Sackville mayor makes just shy of $15,000, and councillors make about $7800.
An amalgamation advisory committee made up of elected and appointed officials will meet tonight to discuss compensation for to-be-elected officials of the town of Tantramar. Sackville Mayor Shawn Mesheau told council on Tuesday that a province-wide process would determine how much councillors and mayors get paid, and that the province was hoping to “ensure consistency with other communities of similar sizes and service levels.”
The idea of increasing the pay for councillors and/or mayor to recognize the increased workload that would come with the larger town of Tantramar was brought forward during council budget priorities discussion by Councillor Sabine Dietz. A recommendation to make sure the compensation was adequate for the job made it into the list of budget priorities sent to Chad Peters.
At council last week, Dietz clarified that she doesn’t personally think councillors need a raise, as their salaries are tied to the CPI index, and they have a good benefits plan. But she’s concerned that the new mayor and deputy mayor for the town of Tantramar might need better compensation.
“I think it is justified for those people that need to lead our communities through a very turbulent and very difficult time,” said Dietz. “I would think that a mayor should be able to spend as much time as possible on town business and needs to play a leadership role.”
She pointed out that the mayor and deputy mayor will also be dealing with the increased role of the Regional Service Commission, and the changes that will bring to the town. Sackville is part of the Southeast Regional Service Commission (SERSC), and the mayor sits on the board of the commission, ostensibly to help make decisions affecting the region. Currently the SERSC looks after planning and waste disposal for Sackville, but as part of the province’s reform plan, that role will be expanded to include things like transportation, tourism, and economic development.
