16 — Friday, September 19, 1997 — North Shore News Retroactive pay sparks debate From page § North Vancouver District, councillors receive $19,810 and the district's mayor is paid $59,430. On Monday, council unani- mously approved (with Coun. Barbara Sharp absence) the indemnity formula that will determine how much moncy councillors will receive per year. The formula représents the _. first time such a system will be used in the city to Llculare councillor’s pay chequi This year’s pay ike is pre- . dicted to be an increase of only 0.26 % but is not yet finalized . because the formula — devel- -. oped by a five-member volun- -"_ teer committee — is dependent “on the size of the raise CUPE: “ (Canadian. Union of Public Employees) Local 389 will get ‘in. its contract’ negotiations with the city. _’ ” Those negotiations are now _ under tle, Council’s indemnity “motion reads: “That a formula wrised of one third of the . cost ‘of any negotiated increase _-with..the Canadian Union of “Public Employces, - Local 389, one: third: of the total. cost ‘of any negotiated increase with North Vancouver . Firefighters’. Association, Local 914;, and | ow = SNe 922-4911 | 2490 Marine Dr., West Van : {next to Capers) tem in which raises would be automatically calculated yearly was better than having to decide to give itself a raise of 1% one year and 11% the next. “Instead of pulling figures out of the air, we decided to get a consulting committee,” Coun. Barbara Perrault said. “All of us are comfortable with this.” Coun. John Braithwaite agreed. “Some councillors didn’t want a raise; some would use that pelitically,” Braithwaite said. “The public was saying that we were giving ourselves raises and reporting to nobody. This way, the public couldn’t get after us for raises. We thought it was fair.” Council agreed on every point regarding the new for- mula which will calculate this and future raises, but one councillor broke rank and voted against the retroactive aspect of the council raise. “I have a problem with retroactivity,” Coun... Bob Fearntey said. “It’s a fair whack of cash for some of them.” “We ‘are in’ negotiations. with CUPE workers, and we’re telling them they’re not getting ‘any money, but reaily (retroactive pay) sets a bad example,” Fearriey added. “This should be a leadership * move; it’s a signal you send 10. : the community.”