City councillors elected in the Oct. 15 election could be covered for child care expenses if the current council adopts the proposed updated remuneration bylaw.

The bylaw is reviewed and amended each election year to take effect after the municipal vote for the new council’s three-year term.

It sets out the mayor’s full-time salary, remuneration for the six city councillor positions and other benefits and pay for the new council to be elected. It was brought forward at Monday’s council meeting.

Using the average annual Consumer Price Index increase of 1.5 per cent, the bylaw would see the mayor’s full-time annual salary increase to $87,942 from the current $84,100.

Annual remuneration for councillors would rise to $20,496 from $19,600.

The biggest change to the bylaw would be the addition of a childcare allowance for any councillors with dependents under the age of 13 living at home.

It’s proposed to be set at $10.30, equivalent to minimum wage.

It could be claimed for any council meetings, training or city functions where attendance by mayor and council is required.

Coun. Betty Irwin was quick to praise the addition of the new allowance. She noted it could make a difference for those with young children who are contemplating running for a position of councillor.

Veteran Coun. Dave Stockdale acknowledged he was fortunate that he hadn’t had to find child care for his kids when he had city business to deal as a councillor with while his kids were growing up.

Luckily, the city schedule had not interfered with work prior to his retirement as an educator, added Stockdale, who was first elected in 1983.

While he said it’s good to see an increase for future council members, Stockdale also questioned where the city may be in 100 years if such boosts continued to be approved for future councils.

“Somewhere along the line, something has to change,” he said.

As both Mayor Dan Curtis and Irwin noted though, it will be up to those future council members to decide on further increases.

“I have no problem with this,” Irwin said.

Speaking solely to the remuneration of councillors – recognizing the mayor’s role as a full-time job – Curtis pointed out members put in a significant amount of time serving the city.

Many devote up to 30 hours a week in addition to their full-time jobs and family responsibilities, to their roles on council, he pointed out.

A 1.5 per cent increase that reflects the rise in the CPI is “not outlandish,” the mayor commented.

The bylaw also sets out that the next council could consider remuneration for the following council after 18 months in office.

Barbara Walker, the city’s human resources manager, pointed out that under the proposed bylaw as well, the term “per diem” would be changed to “honorariums,” reflecting that they are additional payments for certain events rather than living expenses to cover costs, as the term “perdiem” would suggest.

The amounts for honorariums are not set to change.

They sit at $100 for extra qualifying business functions, events, meetings (outside of the usual schedule), training or if they are acting in the mayor’s place for periods of between one and four hours and $150 for events that are more than four hours.

Under the bylaw, councillors would continue to receive dental coverage, extended health care, accident coverage, life insurance and extended health care.

The mayor also receives similar (or in some cases increased) benefits as well as coverage for short- or long-term disability (though the mayor pays 100 per cent of the premium on long-term disability coverage).

The bylaw would continue to permit the mayor to take “paid personal leave as he or she sees fit.”

That means there is no sort of vacation pay-out for the mayor at the end of their term.

If adopted, the bylaw would come into effect for the new council on Oct. 27. Council will vote next week on whether to move ahead with it.

Coun. Mike Gladish was absent from last night’s meeting, with Coun. John Streicker attending by conference call.

Curtis has previously stated the city election could fall on the same day as the federal election (Oct. 19).

In fact, the municipal vote actually falls on the third Thursday in October (Oct. 15), as scheduled every three years.

Canadians will vote nationally on Oct. 19 as long as the fixed election date is kept.

As it’s noted on the Elections Canada website, the Canada Elections Act does not prevent the general election from being called at another date.

The chief electoral officer may recommend an alternate date if the fixed date “for polling is not suitable for that purpose.”

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