Happy New Year to all residents living in the RDN. May 2018 bring you prosperity and continued good health.
Re: RDN directors get pay hike starting next year (The NEWS, Dec. 18, 2017).
Well, the RDN Board of Directors gave themselves a nice Christmas present! We all should be so fortunate.
Currently there are 19 directors — 12 from four municipal governments and seven from electoral districts. All salaries drawn from your and my tax dollars.
On Jan. 1, 2018, their first Christmas present arrived. The annual salary of the seven rural area directors increased from $25,494 to $29,000 — a 13.75 per cent raise. Really?
The chairman’s annual salary increased from $34,433 to $53,000, a whopping 54 per cent raise. Yikes!
There’s more… As of November 2018, both get another present. Rural area directors receive another $5,000, to $34,000 — a 17.2 per cent raise. And the chairman receives another $12,000, rising to $65,000 — a 22.65 per cent raise.
Merry Christmas for sure! Imagine two substantial pay increases in 10 months.
Funny thing is, fellow residents, what’s front page news today simply moves on to another story tomorrow.
Another funny thing, the board hired an independent consultant to compare wages with several other cities/municipalities. I suppose to have someone else justify their pay raises? The board could have done their own research to determine who was being paid what.
Oh well, the taxpayer can pay for the consulting fees.
Though I respect most people who get involved in the political arena, the principle of their boards comparing themselves to what others are paid, determining what their remuneration should then be and how much it should increase, and then deciding solely by their individual votes on this issue, in my opinion is appalling.
Colin Thompson
Bowser