A New Westminster city councillor is calling for more transparency when it comes to compensation given to municipal politicians, many of whom serve on multiple regional boards.
“When you combine all of their expenses, their salaries, their per diems, their chargebacks to a variety of different organizations within Metro Vancouver, it actually paints a very interesting picture,” Coun. Daniel Fontaine told Global News.
Fontaine says Statement of Financial Information (SOFI) reports for 2023 show that when you add up the various payments, Burnaby Mayor Mike Hurley was paid $393,075.
Delta Mayor George Harvie took home $346,780, Port Coquitlam Mayor Brad West earned $342,512 and Richmond Mayor Malcolm Brodie was paid $331,959.
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Fontaine said that information should be more accessible.
“I’m calling on Minister Ravi Kahlon to amend whatever provincial legislation is required to make sure the SOFI reports are consolidated so people don’t have to be hunting for this information,” he said.
A breakdown of Hurley’s compensation shows he’s paid a base mayor’s salary of $195,393. As Metro Vancouver chair he earns $109,000. For the TransLink Mayors’ Council he is paid $32,160 and for his role on TransLink’s Board of Directors, there’s an additional $42,400.
“We’re always open to looking at more ways for information to be made public and no harm in looking at anything that comes forward,” Municipal Affairs Minister Ravi Kahlon told Global News in response to Fontaine’s concerns.
We sought comment from top-earner Mike Hurley but did not hear back before deadline.
