Photo: Shaun Penner / EverythingGP staff

By Shaun Penner

Compensation levels under review

County seeking residents to sit on council/board member remuneration review committee

Dec 31, 2020 | 5:30 AM

A committee recently established by the County of Grande Prairie to review council and board member remuneration (compensation) is looking to add three representatives from the public.

The committee’s main task will be to review the existing policies which govern council and board/committee member compensation levels and expense reimbursement.

“The committee will be making recommendations to council to make changes, if any, prior to the 2021 municipal election,” said County CAO Joulia Whittleton.

Areas which will be addressed by the committee include compensation levels for the reeve, councillors and board/committee members, as well as the recognition and evaluation of the time commitment required of elected officials and public representatives.

Expense reimbursement, the submission and approval of claims processes and the public reporting process will also be discussed and reviewed.

Whittleton says this is committee was formed to help provide transparency to it’s ratepayers.

“And, of course, making sure that council is adequately compensated for the contribution and the work that they must do once they are elected.”

The Council and Board Remuneration committee will be meeting, as required, over the next eight months. Whittleton says the other goal of this committee is to provide the next council, following October’s municipal election, with clarity on the policies.

“Making it more transparent so the new council doesn’t have to start their term from reviewing the old policies, and kind of allowing existing council to make revisions as they (the committee) find appropriate.”

Two councillors, Peter Harris and Harold Bulford, will also be apart of the committee.

Interested residents can apply to serve on the committee by January 18, 2021, at 4:30 p.m. on the County’s website. The County says appointees will be compensated according to the County’s current compensation policy, which will be reviewed by the said committee.

Applicants must be at least 18 years of age and reside within the County of Grande Prairie.