CTF Submission: Clear Wages

- CTF declares a victory for taxpayers with committee's recommendation to make council salaries 100 per cent taxable

EDMONTON: The Canadian Taxpayers Federation (CTF) today applauded the Calgary City Council Compensation Review Committee for recommending council salaries be made 100 per cent taxable.

"We are very pleased to see the committee has accepted our recommendation to eliminate the one-third tax-free portion of council salaries," said CTF-Alberta director Scott Hennig. "It is un-transparent, and greatly distorts how much the mayor and alderman are actually earning right now."

The CTF in its submission entitled Clear Wages, also suggested the deputy mayor allowance and car allowance provided to aldermen be rolled into the base salary.

"We are also happy to see the committee recommended the deputy mayor allowance be rolled into the base salary, but disappointed the committee didn't do the same for the car allowance," continued Hennig.

The CTF further recommended no arbitrary increase to the base salary, as well as the termination of the transition allowance.

"We are although, slightly disappointed that the committee recommended a six per cent raise for aldermen," continued Hennig. "Council salaries are already adjusted annually by the change in the Average Weekly Earnings of Albertans, which was 5.76 per cent this past year, so this raise is seemingly unnecessary."

The release of Calgary's council compensation report comes nearly a month after the release of a report by an Edmonton council compensation committee. The Edmonton report however, ignored nearly every CTF recommendation -- increasing city councillors' compensation by 21 per cent and the mayor's by 14 per cent, as well as leaving one-third of their salary and 'allowances' tax-free.

"While the Calgary report isn't perfect, it's easily head and shoulders above Edmonton's report when it comes to creating more transparency in our public officials' compensation," concluded Hennig.

Copies of Clear Wages can be found on-line by clicking here or by contacting the Alberta office at 1-800-661-0187.