North Vancouver school trustees voted unanimously at their public meeting Sept. 25 in favour of a 3.3 per cent pay hike – equal to the increase in the Vancouver consumer price index – for the period July 1, 2018 to June 30, 2019.
The change means the chair of the school board will now get $27,352, up from a previous $26,516. Pay for the vice-chair increases from $25,188 to $25,979. Trustees will earn $25,201 for this school year, up from $24,435 last year.
Trustee Cyndi Gerlach – who is running for re-election – questioned whether the increase should take into account changes to federal tax laws which will see all of the pay earned by local politicians taxed at regular rates. Previously only two-thirds of municipal and trustee pay was taxable.
“I’m just putting it on the table because it will need to be discussed,” said Gerlach.
Secretary-treasurer Georgia Allison said it’s up to trustees how they want to handle their own pay increases. Some school districts and local governments have increased their pay in response to the federal changes, she said, but others are waiting until after the Oct. 20 elections.
Trustee Barry Forward said the issue should be decided by the incoming school board. “Maybe it’s something to put at the beginning of your four years,” he said.
Trustees earn their stipend regardless of how many meetings they attend.
