Kitimat councillors have greenlit themselves a pay increase, marking a shift toward aligning their compensation with the regional cost of living and economic growth.
Mayor Phil Germuth will receive an annual salary of $50,060, while councillors will earn $27,777 each. The increase, amounting to four per cent, keeps pace with the Consumer Price Index (CPI) movement from August of the previous year to August of the current year.
The raise reflects a remuneration policy established in 2017, aimed at bringing council members’ salaries in line with the median income of Kitimat residents. The policy anchors pay adjustments to the CPI, ensuring that council salaries reflect economic conditions.
Council had previously received a significant pay rise in 2020, guided by the recommendation of Lamb and Associates, a human resources consultancy firm. The aim was to bring the mayor and councillors’ compensation closer to those in municipalities of comparable size — at the time Kitimat’s elected officials were among the lowest-paid, with the mayor being the second-lowest and councillors at the very bottom of the eight municipalities surveyed.
The raise was further justified by the heightened economic activity within Kitimat and the consequent increased demands on council members’ time.
The report urged for competitive remuneration in order to attract a broader and more diverse candidate pool in future local elections.