School trustees vote to increase pay

Trustees of School District 57 voted on Tuesday for significant increases to their pay in order to offset new federal regulations that would see the removal of tax exemptions for school board officeholders as of January of 2019.

The board voted to increase the yearly remuneration for the chairperson from $18,544 to $21,200, an increase of 14 per cent. The yearly remuneration for vicechairperson would increase from $17,044 to $19,700, an increase of 15.6 per cent.

Trustees would see yearly remuneration increase from $15,544 to $18,200, an increase of 17 per cent. The increases will take effect on Jan. 1, 2019.

The take-home pay for all individuals serving in these positions will remain the same, with the additional amount being taxed by the federal government. The increased remuneration would result in a $20,510 annual increase to the District’s budget.

Trustees had previously voted for a 1.5 per cent increase to their remuneration during the last School District 57 meeting on Feb. 27.

The 2017 Federal Budget included a change in the Income Tax Act that removed tax exemptions for expense allowances paid to members of provincial and territorial legislative assemblies, as well as school board office-holders.

A March 9 letter addressed to Federal Minister of Finance Bill Morneau by Floyd Martens, president of the Canadian School Boards Association, sharply criticized the tax changes.

“This proposed change will most certainly de-incentivize experienced, quality professionals, the majority of whom have full time employment and already pay taxes on their work income, from running for this valuable public office,” Martens wrote in the letter.

Trustees would see yearly remuneration increase from $15,544 to $18,200, an increase of 17 per cent. The increases will take effect on Jan. 1, 2019.