Our city manager was hired in June, 2008. For 2011, his inclusive salary was $249,005. That’s considerably more than was earned by any provincial premier.
B.C.’s Christy Clark earns a reported $201,000.
Do Abbotsford city councillors really believe it is more strenuous and more demanding to administer a city of 136,000 people than a province of 4,430,000? And premiers certainly don’t have any job security!
When I was an Abbotsford city councillor, I urged that city salaries be brought more in line with the those in the private sector.
City salaries and wages were then, as also now, reportedly between 18 per cent and 30 per cent higher.
I got very little support. I was told that we need to pay such high salaries and wages to get good people. I did not believe that then, and I don’t believe it now. Let’s freeze city salaries or reduce them. I predict that we would still have a raft of strong applications for all positions.
And now comes the real kicker – the severance deal. Our city manager resigned effective January 4, 2013. After four and a half years of earning a high salary and enjoying a raft of excellent benefits, our departing manager is receiving a golden handshake totalling $321,000. I don’t blame him for taking advantage of what our city offers. But I do blame the councils that promise such outlandish severance payments.
When I objected to such huge severance packages I was repeatedly told, “It’s in the contract.” But our councillors put it there!
I assume that the incoming city manager has a contract which again incorporates incredible job-leaving generosity. If that is the case, then it may be in order to elect leaders who do learn from the past.
John H. Redekop