Mayor names long- term deputies, breaks from tradition

Vancouver Mayor Gregor Robertson has broken with tradition and has named two of his closest council allies deputy mayor and acting mayor for an entire year rather than rotating the jobs monthly among council members.

At the same time, he’s also naming all other council members to a monthly rotational schedule to serve his office “as requested” when neither Vision Vancouver Coun. Andrea Reimer nor Coun. Raymond Louie can fill out in their new jobs as deputy mayor and acting mayor.

The changes not only politicize the deputy mayor and acting mayor roles, but will cost taxpayers a lot more than what the city now sets aside to compensate council members for those jobs.

Until now the city paid the designate $ 2,830 per month, but the largely ceremonial job was shared equally among all council members when the mayor couldn’t attend functions or is out of town.

But in assigning Reimer and Louie as his deputies for the year, the mayor is also giving them a higher profile. Under the Vancouver Charter they will have the same executive and signing powers as the mayor.

The changes will mean the city will revise the budget for the two positions as well as the rotational duties of the council members, the mayor’s office said in a statement.

An independent third party will be hired to review the proposed compensation, but it will not extend to a review of all council remuneration, his office said.

“There is no change to compensation at this time. Any adjustments in compensation to reflect increased workload as a Council Representative will be addressed in a third- party review as part of the next budget,” his office said.

However, it is likely that the two new permanent positions could triple the cost of the $ 34,000 deputy mayor program.

For decades mayors have assigned the roles of both deputy mayor and acting mayor to every member of council on a rotating monthly basis. In return, the city gave them an additional $ 550 per week for each week served. The section of the Vancouver Charter that allows for a deputy mayor role doesn’t specify how that position is to be awarded, either on a rotational basis or as a direct appointment.

But in a report going to Monday’s inaugural council meeting, Robertson decided to break with the tradition of sharing the role amongst all council, and instead named Reimer as his second- incommand. Louie’s position as “acting mayor” will also likely come with a similar salary given to the deputy mayor and will require him to represent the city when neither Robertson nor Reimer is available.

The mayor’s office said on the weekend it had consulted with City Clerk Janice Mackenzie about the proposed changes and whether the deputy mayor positions could be assigned on an annual, rather than monthly basis. Robertson has also listed individual councillors to represent the city on specific months “when requested” but does not list them as “deputy mayor” or “acting mayor.”

Robertson gave no reason for the change in the report going to council Monday, but his office said it was to help spread more evenly the significant amount of ceremonial appearances required of the mayor’s office.

The new duties come as Robertson rearranges his council committee structures. Louie, who will be the new president of the Federation of Canadian Municipalities and likely miss a number of council meetings, relinquished his position as chairman of the city’s standing finance committee. Veteran Coun. Geoff Meggs was given Louie’s old role.

Robertson also replaced Reimer as chairwoman of the planning, environment and transportation committee, the other standing council committee. Heather Deal was named to the position. Both committee jobs come without extra pay.

According to the city, councillors are paid $ 67,994 annually, with the mayor receiving $ 154,347.