More cash will be coming to city council members who are elected in the Oct. 15 municipal election.

That was finalized after members approved third reading and adopted the bylaw governing the raises at Monday evening's city council meeting.

For the city's next mayor, that means an annual salary of $74,000 from Nov. 1 until Oct. 31, 2012, compared to the current $72,500 paid annually to the mayor.

Each of the six councillors will be paid $500 more each year, from the honouraria of $17,500 they receive now to $18,000.

Coun. Dave Stockdale was the only member to vote against the raises last night. The vote came after council turned down his earlier proposal that the mayor's pay rise annually while the honouraria for councillors be hiked only once per term.

Stockdale made his proposal after city staff brought forward a proposal that would have seen annual increases to both mayor and council annually based on the Consumer Price Index.

The councillor argued at the time that while the mayor's pay should be hiked annually because it's a full-time occupation, councillors take on the role on a part-time basis, and it has an element of public service.

"The (councillor's) position is not the same as the mayor's position,” Stockdale said, countering Coun. Doug Graham's argument that the city should remain consistent in doling out raises.

"The mayor has given up a full-time job to take on a full-time job, and it falls into a work milieu and they should be given increases every year.”

Council sided with Graham, who said the city should provide raises across the board.

"As far as I'm concerned, one pay increase every three years for everyone is fine, but to do it this way just doesn't make any sense,” Graham said, after referring to Stockdale's proposal as the "worst” of all the solutions that had arisen.

Graham also argued the mayor is already well-paid, with the salary also including a $450 monthly vehicle allowance.

Among the other benefits listed in the bylaw for the mayor are:

• extended health care, dental coverage and group life insurance, with the city paying 90 per cent and the mayor paying 10 per cent;

• dental includes 100 per cent basic coverage, 50 per cent major restorative to a maximum of $2,500 per person, as well as 50 per cent coverage on orthodontic work to a lifetime maximum of $1,500 per person;

• group life insurance is twice the mayor's annual salary rounded up to the nearest highest thousand;

• short-term disability is paid entirely by the city with the mayor, who requires a physician's statement, qualifying after the third day of illness;

• long-term disability premiums are paid entirely by the mayor with payments based on 65 per cent of the first $3,500 in monthly pay and 55 per cent of the remaining monthly earnings to a maximum benefit of $4,000 per month;

• paid absences of up to three working days for non-occupational illness or accident, medical, dental or optical appointments, or illness in their immediate family;

and

• vacation time as they determine.

"With respect to vacation time, the mayor is permitted to take paid personal leave as he or she sees fit and therefore, at the end of the mayor's term of office, there will not be any entitlement to a vacation payout,” reads the bylaw.

Meanwhile, councillors also receive a few additional benefits which include per diems for representing the city at various events, training or when they are in the position of deputy mayor.

Councillors receive a $125 per diem each day for six hours or more, $62.50 for between three and six hours and no additional pay for fewer than three hours.

Council members are also entitled to travel expenses for events where they are representing the city, with approval from the rest of council.

Coun. Dave Austin was absent from last night's meeting to represent the city at a conference in Haines, Alaska, while Coun. Florence Roberts attended by conference call.

With just a month until voting day, Bev Buckway, who is seeking a second mayoral term, remains unopposed.