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New salaries approved for Bowen mayor & council

Pay changes will be instituted next term
Coins stacked
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A new remuneration policy will be in effect for Bowen Island’s next council.

A raise in both mayoral and councillor pay was approved this month to take effect for the council term beginning in 2026. Currently a Bowen mayor makes $34,649 per year, with councillors earning half of that at $17,300. The new compensation plan will see the mayor earn $57,445 and councillors $28,723.

One major priority of the change is an effort to recognize the large amount of work councillors undertake. “Bowen, despite us being a small size, is quite a bit more complex to administer and govern than many other municipalities our size,” said chief financial officer Kristen Watson, pointing out that in addition to local matters council members also deal with regional governments in Metro Vancouver and Islands Trust, along with BC Ferries too.

“When you combine that with our proximity to Metro Vancouver and the added cost of living in the lower mainland, it is reasonable that council may want to consider a new compensation policy,” says Watson.

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2023 mayor & council salaries of Metro Vancouver municipalities. / BIM

There’s also a hope that a higher salary might encourage more people to throw their hats in the election ring. “In the past most of our councillors are people that tend to have other secondary sources of income. So there is an argument that increasing the compensation would make it more accessible for other people without that secondary source of income to consider running for office,” said Watson.

Coun. Sue Ellen Fast agreed this could expand the election field. “My concern is that we do attract a diversity of voices to sit around the table for the good discussions that we have and for good decision making in general. I think in order to do that we should be compensating people for the time it takes to do the thinking and work,” she said.

Council passed the new policy 6-1 with Coun. Alison Morse opposed. The new mayoral salary was calculated at 40 per cent of the average salary of all 21 Metro Vancouver municipality mayors, with the new council salary set at half that amount. Overall the changes will add approximately $68,000 to the annual budget.