Remuneration template rejected

Alberton Town Council decided during its May monthly meeting to leave its councillor remuneration bylaw as is until a new council is elected.

Like other municipalities across the province, Alberton town council is partway through a process of adopting new bylaws that reflect the new Municipal Government Act.

The wording of many of the new bylaws follows a provincial template.

The town’s finance committee chairman, David Cahill and fellow councillor Alan Curtis took issue with changing the remuneration bylaw near the end of the current term, arguing the new council to be elected in November should deal with that.

Cahill initially questioned how the bylaw might affect councillors who miss meetings due to illness or work commitments.

Curtis suggested a policy that does not take into consideration such realities could make it difficult for a municipality to attract new councillors and might even be discriminatory.

“Otherwise, you’re going to end up with a council comprised of old retired guys, like me,” he said.

All councillors subsequently agreed with Cahill and Curtis that passing the remuneration bylaw should be left to the new council, and they unanimously passed a motion to stick with the current bylaw and to continue discussions with the provincial government on the matter.

Curtis recommended council explain to the provincial government why it did not pass a new bylaw.

“We’re not just turning it down because we feel like it; we’re doing it with just cause, I think.”