CTF Submission: Clear Wages


EDMONTON: In a submission to the City of Calgary's Council Compensation Review Committee, the Canadian Taxpayers Federation (CTF) is calling on the City of Calgary to make city council compensation more transparent and simpler for Calgarians to understand.

"One-third of council's salaries and benefits being tax-free distorts how much the mayor and aldermen are actually paid," said CTF-Alberta director Scott Hennig. "It's time city council compensation be cleaned up."

Both the mayor and aldermen receive a tax-free expense allowance, while aldermen also receive a one-third tax-free car allowance, and a one-third tax-free deputy mayor allowance every year.

"Every other Calgarian has to pay tax on 100 per cent of their income, why should city council be any different," questioned Hennig. "Elected officials should be subject to the same tax laws as the people they govern."

Aldermen are generally advertised to be earning $66,564 per year, and the mayor is advertised to be earning $133,226 per year. The CTF's "Clear Wages" submission breaks down these numbers, and shows that in fact when the tax-free status and the various allowances are calculated, Calgary aldermen actually earn the equivalent of $89,230 and the mayor earns the equivalent of $160,296 per year.

Furthermore, when comparing base salary to selected other major Canadian cities, the mayor of Calgary's take-home income is more than the mayors of Edmonton, Ottawa, Vancouver and even Toronto.

The CTF also recommends council's transition allowance be terminated immediately.

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