TNRD board finally paying attention to its own press clippings

There may be hope for the Thompson-Nicola Regional District board yet — directors might finally be paying attention to their own press clippings.

For years, this board has demonstrated unstinting leadership in giving itself generous pay raises. But today, directors turned down a proposal by Ronaye Elliott to boost the per-meeting pay from $140 to $150. Only 10 bucks but, as was pointed out, it would cost taxpayers about $10,000 a year. (Rural directors make between $12,000 and $14,900 a year depending on how far they have to travel.)

Cache Creek Mayor John Ranta, no stranger to sarcastic wit, took the position that “It’s not worth the political risk to have the good people of the press suggesting that we’re at the trough again.”

An interesting remark, given that the media have faithfully reported each raise, and that TNRD directors have never worried about the political risk before, and with good reason — there’s no evidence the board’s own generosity to itself has ever carried any political consequences.

The reason for raises is always pretty much the same — keeping up with the other guys. Director John Sternig noted that Columbia-Shuswap Regional District board members are paid $40 or $50 more per meeting than TNRD directors get. But everybody trying to keep up with everybody else is just a game of paycheque leap frog. Sooner or later, the CSRD would feel behooved to raise its own pay, and the TNRD would want to catch up again. Or, somebody lower than the TNRD would want more, and on and on.

It’s admittedly awkward for municipal politicians to have to set their own remuneration, but Kamloops council found a way around it after years of struggling — it set a level that seemed fair, and then pegged increases to the rate of inflation.