Full-time councillor talk resurfaces at deliberations

Ward system also discussed

City council could look vastly different in a few years, if a ward system is created and if councillors become full-time positions.

But those answers will not be known after this week.

Thursday, as Finance Committee continued its deliberations for the 2019-22 City of Lethbridge operating budget, there was a proposal to hold a citizen assembly on the feasibility of ward system, with funding through a onetime Municipal Revenue Stabilization Reserve (MRSR) allocation of $75,000 in 2019. An amendment to refer to Open and Effective Government committee for consideration and funding was then presented and carried with a 5-4 vote.

Two proposals for four fulltime councillors or all fulltime councillors, funded at varying levels of taxation and overhead charges, had an amendment to refer both to OEG for consideration and funding. That vote also passed 5-4.

Coun. Rob Miyashiro says more information is needed for the full-time councillor time initiative.

“The resolution was ‘OK, let’s go four of us go fulltime.’ What does that mean? We actually don't know what the role would be,” he said.

“All that was discussed was four people going full-time and what the renumeration would be. How do you pick the four? The referral back to OEG was a good one. It gives us an opportunity to say ‘hey, what is this all about?’”

“As Mayor Spearman suggested, do we do it by referendum, do we do it by citizen assembly?” Miyashiro added, referring to the ward system. “It’s a big enough issue that I think maybe we want to do some kind of plebiscite.”

Also on Thursday, Finance Committee voted unanimously for an income tax adjustment, through taxation and overhead charges at $101,000 in 2019 and up to $109,000 in 2022. The objective is to ensure mayor and council’s net pay is maintained due to a change in income tax levels effective Jan. 1, 2019.

Mayor Chris Spearman said the 2017 federal budget announced that the non-taxable allowance for municipal government would be eliminated in 2019, so this was designed to offset expenses that would not be deducted for tax purposes.

“What the resolution does is basically makes councillors whole in terms of their net pay,” he explained. “Most communities are handling this issue in exactly the same way.”

“The income tax for municipal government officials, a third of it was tax free,” Miyashiro added. “So now what we are doing is increasing the gross to make up for what the loss net would be. It’s not an increase in pay.”

The budget sessions will continue today, and possibly into Saturday, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. in council chambers at Lethbridge City Hall. They are open to the public.

Once the 2019-22 Operating Budget is approved by Finance Committee, it is anticipated to come before council on Monday for formal approval.