Council pay will be in the spotlight this month as staff prepares a report on the history of council remuneration.
The request came from Coun. Bruce Whittington during a recent government services meeting and is scheduled to be on the agenda for the Aug. 15 meeting.
Whittington said he wanted to address the topic for the current or new council to be elected in November.
“No council wants to be seen voting itself an increase, but at some point it has to be considered,” said Whittington.
Once the information is brought forward it will be up to the current council to either act on it or pass it on to the next council.
“So the incoming council does not have the stigma of initiating it for their own benefit, but they can make a decision based on the information.”
Staff have been requested to come back with not only a payment history, but also information on the pay of councillors from towns with a similar size to Ladysmith.
Based on the town’s 2010 financial report, Mayor Rob Hutchins made $13,784 and filed $9,959 in expenses.
Coun. Steve Arnett received $6,311 and filed $5,970 in expenses.
Coun. Scott Bastian made $6,311 and filed $3,198 in expenses.
Coun. Jill Dashwood received $6,311 and filed $3,723 in expenses.
Coun. Lori Evans received $6,311 and filed $5,942 in expenses.
Coun. Duck Paterson received $7,669 and filed $3,877 in expenses.
Whittington received $6,311 and filed $3,275.
In comparison, the City of Revelstoke, with a population of around 7,500, said their mayor gets paid around $22,000 and each of their six councillors receive around $11,000. All told, Revelstoke council filed for $12,435 in expenses in 2010.