Metro board is selfish

We find it both selfish and offensive that Metro Vancouver board members voted themselves a pay raise and a retirement bonus retroactive to 2007.

On average it will mean an additional $15,000 per member when they either don’t seek re-election or are tossed out of office by the voters. What’s wrong with a city pin, warm handshake, and retirement tea?

This comes at a time when Vancouver is now one of the most unaffordable places to live on the planet.

Municipal politicians are technically volunteers who are compensated for lost wages and other personal expenses with an honorarium. But, in recent years, many have used it as a form of income or a method of adding to their retirement income. If you’re a town/city councillor, combined with a regional director, it makes for a decent income.

But, apparently, it’s not enough for people like Greg Moore, the mayor of Port Coquitlam and Metro Vancouver board chair. His rationale to the media is you have to pay well to attract quality people.

We don’t buy it, nor does the Canadian Taxpayers Federation, which has been extremely outspoken on the issue.

Moore and his fellow board members knew what they were receiving when they took the job.

An outside agency needs to be the one deciding on what stipends elected officials should receive — not the politicians.

Unfortunately, voters in Metro Vancouver are somewhat confused because a recorded vote was never taken. (How convenient.) The CTF was turned down for a list of who voted in favour of this. Voters will have to watch the video and press pause in order to find out.

The actions of Metro Vancouver are dangerous to all municipalities because, before not too long, it will spread across the province. Other city and town councils will use Metro Vancouver as the template.

If this sounds all-too-familiar, it’s because it is. Only a month after being elected, the young, dynamic Penticton City Council voted itself extended medical and dental benefits. (The Town of Oliver turned down an identical proposal.) The taxpayers of Penticton shouldn’t have to pay for the mayor and councillors to have their teeth cleaned.

Many of our elected officials suffer from inflated egos and a total sense of entitlement. Shame on the Metro Vancouver board.