SASKATOON — The recent changes to the remuneration paid to RM of Corman Park councillors, as well as a new annual increase tied to the Saskatchewan cost of living adjustment (COLA), have now been spelled out in a council policy.
During their Feb. 25 meeting, RM of Corman Park councillors voted to approve the new Council Remuneration Policy GA-009 and rescind the previous policy.
The new policy incorporates the changes that were approved at the Jan. 28 council meeting, which chief administrative officer Kerry Hilts noted was for the purpose of providing sufficient compensation “to attract and retain competent and qualified people to the office of reeve and council.”
Hilts said the policy also applies to non-elected municipal representatives other than employees who are appointed as a delegate or to a board/committee like the police commission.
Hilts said the remuneration for the RM council had not been sufficiently updated since 2020. As part of this policy, remuneration will now be reviewed in the third year of the reeve’s four-year election cycle, with changes coming into effect after the next municipal election.
The changes, which are retroactive to Jan. 1, 2025, include increasing the base pay of the reeve to $2,500 per month, plus a $1,267 monthly office stipend.
The base pay for councillors has also been increased to $1,500 per month, with the deputy reeve receiving an additional $50 per month office stipend.
As noted earlier, the base pay for councillors and the reeve will be increased each year based on the Saskatchewan COLA. A one per cent increase will occur when the COLA is under 0.99%, a 2% increase will occur when the COLA is between 1 to 2.99%, and a 3% increase will take effect if the COLA is over 3%.
The reeve and councillors will continue to recieve a technology stipend of $103 per month, which remains unchanged.
One last-minute change approved by councillors at the February 25 meeting was to the rates paid to councillors and committee members for attending various types of meetings.
Previously, administration recommended paying compensation of $185 for attending meetings lasting under four hours, $248 for meetings lasting over four hours and $371 for meetings over eight hours.
However, Division 8 councillor Wendy Trask recommended that the $371 be paid for meetings lasting over six hours, with no additional compensation for meetings over eight hours.
Trask pointed out that very few events would last over eight hours, while a six-hour meeting would effectively take up most of a day.
"That’s a big jump from four to eight hours,” she said.
The change was approved, though a dissenting vote was cast by Division 1 councillor John Germs.
“We got a big increase in our base salary; what if we just left $248 if it’s over four hours?” Germs suggested.
In addition to the meeting rates outlined above, the chair of the administrative, planning and public works committees will also receive $50 per meeting.
As for expenses, the policy specifies that councillors will receive a mileage reimbursement of 66 cents per kilometer, as well as a meal allowance of $100 per day ($20 for breakfast, $30 for lunch and $40 for dinner) when attending out-of-town conventions or meetings.
One other new change to previous policies is that councillor expenses shall now require the authorization of the reeve or a designate.
After it was approved by council, Division 3 councillor Lyndon Haduik spoke favourably of the new policy, noting that their remuneration wasn’t really cut and dry with previous policies.
“Now it’s understandable and clear,” he said.
