EDITORIAL – Should civic politicians get a third of their pay tax free?

Posted on May 24, 2017 in Editorials, Page One, Rothenburger // 2 Comments

MUNICIPAL politicians receive a benefit a lot of people might not know about — a third of their stipend is tax free.

It’s been that way since I remember, and it’s there in consideration of the day-to-day expenses incurred by municipal office holders. Under the federal Income Tax Act, elected members of provincial and territorial governments, school boards and some other bodies receive certain breaks as well — referred to as “non-accountable allowances.”

Justin Trudeau proposes to take that away as of 2019, which basically means at the beginning of the next term. There’s good and bad in this.

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About Mel Rothenburger (11793 Articles)

ArmchairMayor.ca is a forum about Kamloops and the world. It has more than one million views. Mel Rothenburger is the former Editor of The Daily News in Kamloops, B.C. (retiring in 2012), and past mayor of Kamloops (1999-2005). At ArmchairMayor.ca he is the publisher, editor, news editor, city editor, reporter, webmaster, and just about anything else you can think of. He is grateful for the contributions of several local columnists. This blog doesn't require a subscription but gratefully accepts donations to help defray costs.

2 Comments on EDITORIAL – Should civic politicians get a third of their pay tax free?

J // May 24, 2017 at 9:02 AM // Reply

-This last statement in your entire article, “I certainly hope not.,’ is obviously playing the Devil’s Advocate: In the background someone else is chiming in to say:
“Of course, of course, ya horse, ya horse.”
For,
-‘He who laughs last …most likely got the biggest cut…! ‘
(Ok, maybe not like that, yet the context is correct….)

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Pierre // May 24, 2017 at 8:43 AM // Reply

The excuse that a higher salary attracts better candidates is no longer valid.
Claw back the misguided raise or tax it back at least 50%.

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