Calgary councillor calling for pay freeze next year
Posted Dec 17, 2018 7:29 am.
Last Updated Dec 17, 2018 8:20 am.
This article is more than 5 years old.
CALGARY (660 NEWS) – Calgary city council will consider taking a pay freeze for its members on Monday, but a tax watchdog is calling for more.
Councillor Ward Sutherland is pitching a motion calling for councillors to take a pay freeze next year, rather than accept any raises normally set by a separate committee.
However, the Canadian Tax Payers Federation says that should only be the first step.
Franco Terrazano says instead councillors should take a 10 per cent pay cut, from their more than $113,000 per year salary.
“Councillors need to show leadership by further tightening their own belts just like the people of Calgary they represent,” Terrazano said.
While they are it, Terrazano says something should be done about retirement packages as well
“Calgary appears to be the only major city in Canada that provides two pensions to its mayor, then there’s a $10,000 average retirement bonus for City of Calgary employees,” he said.
On top of that, Terrazano adds hundreds of city workers will receive two pensions in retirement, with 236 of them getting three pension packages.
