The Regional District of Kootenay Boundary will explore paying directors a health and wellness stipend as part of a broader review of their remuneration.
A staff report presented to the board Wednesday noted directors’ compensation is adjusted annually to keep pace with the cost of living. One year prior to each general election, stipends and allowances are reviewed and adjusted using comparisons to other regional districts. RDKB policy is that directors’ pay should be around the median of those other districts.
Directors receive monthly stipends, plus additional allowances for technology, office expenses, travel, and attending meetings. Municipal directors receive base pay of $1,126 per month and rural directors $2,696, while the chair receives an additional $2,501 per month and the vice-chair another $436.
The report found median compensation among all regional districts studied was $43,340 per director per year, while the RDKB average is $44,327. However, the per capita cost of governance of all the regional districts was $7.10, whereas the RDKB’s cost was $16.30, second only to the Regional District of Central Kootenay at $16.40.
“Population density played a significant role in determining the per capita cost,” the report noted. “Rural and remote districts such as RDKB and RDCK naturally have higher per capita costs, whereas mostly urban regional districts … have the lowest per capita cost.”
The report found the RDKB’s municipal directors were $143 below the median pay of directors in the other regional districts, while rural directors were $421 above the median. The chair was $171 below the median. The report suggested rural directors and the chair be brought up to the median. Directors endorsed the increase, which is expected to be formally adopted at a future meeting, but they also had a few other ideas.
West Boundary director Sharen Gibbs called the matter a “touchy subject” given a “super tight” budget this year, but wondered if the board would consider raising the rate directors are paid for attending meetings.
Christina Lake director Grace McGregor also suggested they look at health and wellness pay. “Our positions are targets,” she said. “I can speak to that extensively. More and more, elected officials are under strain and stress because they’re attacked publicly and privately.” McGregor said such a stipend could be used to pay for a gym membership, to buy equipment, or “go for therapy.”
RDKB staff already have an annual wellness stipend and chief administrator Mark Andison said there has also been talk of allowing directors to access a counselling program provided to staff.
Rural Grand Forks director Linda Kay Wiese said she left “a perfectly good administrative job” to run for public office, and while being a rural director may be viewed as a part-time position, she can’t easily find a second job flexible enough to accommodate her RDKB role.
Warfield director Frank Marino suggested the board make adjustments to reach median pay, but go no higher.
Chief financial officer Farhad Hossain said the board could increase rural directors’ pay and leave municipal directors’ pay alone, or they could bring down municipal pay while increasing rural amounts. But in a similar review of staff pay, the board opted not to lower wages for those already making more than average.
In the end, the board agreed to increase monthly stipends for municipal directors and the chair, and directed staff to look into raising meeting allowances and creating a health and wellness stipend.
In 2024, salaries and expenses for the 13-member board totalled about $576,000, which was down from $587,000 the previous year.
