Parksville city staff members will look into options for an extended benefits plan for council members and report back to council with options, following a vote on May 5.
Council also voted to have staff bring options about a benefits plan for future elected officials, in partnership with other local governments such as the Regional District of Nanaimo.
The report will be similar to one from December 2022, according to chief administrative officer Keeva Kehler, which council voted against about a month into its term.
The options will range in cost, depending on how many councillors opt in, and how much is paid by the city or by the individual councillor.
“I think it’s safe to say it’s probably about $5,000 to $8,000 per member for the annual coverage," Kehler said. "So I think fairly low overall cost when you think about what it provides for this council and future councils in terms of recruitment.”
Including a benefits package is becoming more common, according to what Kehler has heard from other CAOs in B.C.
In the long term, council benefits should be budgeted for, she added, but does not expect there will be a tax rate implication if they are added for the remainder of the current council's term which ends in fall 2026.
Coun. Adam Fras said he would be more comfortable if the cost was paid by council members who choose to enrol, rather than by the taxpayers.
“I don’t quite see this job as being the type where that should be part of the remuneration of it. I think we are paid fairly for what we do, for our time here,” Fras said, and added he would support access to a benefits package with a discounted group rate.
Mayor Doug O'Brien said it depends on how much time a council member is putting into the job.
“I can speak from personal experience that it is more than a full-time job, for myself, because that’s how serious I take this role as elected official,” he said. “I feel the benefits package is fair and equitable.”
Coun. Amit Gaur pointed out that council discussed, and voted against, a similar motion in December 2022, and suggested the council sworn in after the 2026 election could decide for themselves.
“I am not in favour of taxing more for the Parksville residents to pay for my benefits at this time,” he added.
Coun. Joel Grenz said he would prefer to make a decision that will affect the next council and not the current one.
"When I ran I had a general idea of what the compensation package looked like and to immediately upon getting elected be asked [in December 2022] to vote on giving myself more benefits didn’t make me very comfortable,” he said, and added that if they let the next council decide for themselves, they will put them in that same position.
Grenz added that he sees some of his council-related work as community service.
Staff needed direction from council for all the benefits options, including a member enroling at the discounted group rate, at their own expense, because council voted against the motion in 2022, according to Kehler.
Following the two resolutions passed by council, staff will bring a report with options and seek clarity on whether the benefits will be paid for by the city, by the members, or a combination of both.
