WEST Vancouver Mayor Michael Smith made his second $9,000 donation to the West Vancouver Community Foundation Feb. 9, keeping his promise to use his pay increase to benefit the community.
Despite Smith's reservations, mayor and council voted to give themselves their first pay hike in nearly a decade in April 2012, bumping Smith's salary from $65,915 to $75,000.
Smith acknowledged voting for a wage increase went against his 30-year track record of advocating for fiscal prudence from elected officials. "I haven't seen anything to prove that the more you pay, the better candidates you get," he said at the time.
"Rather than accepting that raise, which would be $9,000 annually for his three-year term, he said that he would take that money and donate it to the foundation," said WVCF financial assistant Susan Beck.
Smith's two donations, totaling $18,000, have each gone to the Mayor's Endowment Fund, which supports youth, arts and culture, according to Beck.
Over the past three years, the Mayor's Endowment Fund has provided $1,500 for Hollyburn Family Services, $900 for Booktopia, and given $700 to the West Vancouver Youth Band Society, according to Beck.
"Because, it's an endowment fund we can only grant out the income that's earned by this fund," Beck said.
Smith has pledged to donate another $9,000 next year, according to Beck.
North Shore Rescue, St. John's Ambulance, North Shore Meals on Wheels are all frequent recipients of WVCF grants. The WVCF has also recently introduced the $501,000 Bonnie J. McLaren Memorial Fund, which will benefit women and children, according to Beck.
