Penticton city council voted this week to add extended health and dental benefits to their compensation package.
At their March 16 meeting, council voted take advantage of a benefits package offered through the Union of B.C. Municipalities, at a maximum cost of $14,375.28 — if all seven councillors sign up for family coverage — and splitting it with Penticton taxpayers fifty-fifty.
It took three votes to get there. Council first defeated 4-2 a motion that councillors pay 75 per cent of the cost, and then a proposal that the city pay 100 per cent failed after a tie vote.
Given the time required, Coun. Max Picton said, the city paying 100 per cent wasn’t unreasonable.
“A lot of sacrifices are made to take this position on, missed opportunity for our own personal careers and job opportunities,” said Picton. “If this was the end of our term, and we were voting for the following council, I would vote for the full load, even if I knew I was not running again. The compensation is not huge for the demand of the job.”
Coun. Judy Sentes agreed with Picton’s sentiments about the level of councillor compensation.
“It is no secret as a councillor last year, my T4 slip last year was well under $20,000. I think this little bit of something is appropriate,” she said.
Both Picton and Sentes voted in favour of the 100 per cent option, as did Mayor Andrew Jakubeit.
“This wouldn’t be a discussion if we were talking about management or staff, but again, when it comes to council it seems everyone seems to tiptoe around this,” he said, noting that on previous councils, there hadn’t been enough councillors interested to meet the UBCM’s minimum requirement of three applicants.
This council, Jakubeit argued, is younger and most are self-employed.
“Most of us don’t have any coverage for dental or medical. To me, this makes sense to do,” he said, adding that it might also serve as an incentive when recruiting candidates in the next municipal election, four years from now.
Coun. Andre Martin argued that less of the burden should be on taxpayers, pointing out that all the councillors knew beforehand how they would be compensated.
“We came in here knowing what the package was. I am comfortable with the 25 per cent being paid by the city. That is a little easier on the taxpayer and shows the commitment,” said Martin.
The motion proposing a 50-50 split passed 4-2, with Martin and Coun. Campbell Watt opposed.