There are people who begrudge every single penny municipal politicians make and rage when councils receive an increase in their remuneration.
I am not one of those people.
Burnaby council is looking at a hefty increase after the feds eliminated a tax credit for civic politicians and I don’t really have a problem with that. Fair pay for their work.
What I do have a problem with are Burnaby council members being eligible for thousands of dollars in free golf each year when the rest of us don’t.
That’s precisely what happens annually through the city’s complimentary pass program for past and present mayors, councillors and parks commissioners, as well as current school trustees and library board members.
City documents provided to the NOW by the city show $38,490 was waived in 2014, $47,118 in 2015, $53,344 in 2016, $49,912 in 2017 and $48,846 in 2018. The city did not identify who used the program between 2014 and 2018. The vast majority of the charges came from the city’s two biggest golf courses, with the rest coming from the city’s recreation centres.
Sure, it’s not a lot of money compared to the city’s budget, which is in the hundreds of millions of dollars.
But it’s not the amount that matters - it’s the principle. City politicians already get paid well for the work they do and they don’t deserve free perks like this that other citizens don’t receive.
If they want to golf, then they should get out their wallets and pay for it themselves. I hate when politicians pull up to the trough and get fed when regular taxpayers don’t get the same benefits.
It reminds me of 2010 when civic politicians across Metro Vancouver and the Fraser Valley lined up for free tickets to Olympic events like men’s hockey when the rest of us were left sitting at home. These politicians didn’t earn the freebies in any way other than having been elected. It was just gross.
The free golf is just as gross and it has to stop.
Mayor Mike Hurley’s backers, the International Association of Fire Fighters, made this an issue during the 2018 campaign and now, it appears, Hurley is backing that up.
Before council are proposed changes that would discontinue the program for former council members, former commissioners, people nominated by council members and commissioners, and all members of the library board and board of education. If the staff report recommendations are passed, it will also cap the waivers at $1,500 annually per member, including their guests. The program currently has a total annual cap of $55,000, which would have been removed due to the new individual caps.
I don’t think this goes far enough. I want the free golf for politicians eliminated, but at least it’s a start. The $1,500 is a big drop from the nearly $8,000 in free golf one parks commissioner received according to numbers obtained by the NOW in 2013. Then-mayor Derek Corrigan received $5,700 in free golf at that time.
So, yeah, it would be a big drop but still too much when regular folks don’t get the same treatment.
On Monday, council tabled a decision on the recommendations – with Hurley and councillors Pietro Calendino, Sav Dhaliwal and Joe Keithley opposed - and staff have been asked to check with other municipalities on whether they have similar programs.
Two things bother me about this.
First, who cares what other cities do? Just because other cities do a dumb thing doesn’t mean Burnaby has a licence to do the same dumb thing.
Secondly, why are Burnaby politicians voting on the very perks that will benefit themselves? It’s the same conflict that arises when politicians vote themselves pay raises.
I really hope one of the council members pushes for an amendment eliminating politicians from receiving any free passes.
Take a stand.
End the gravy train.
Follow Chris Campbell on Twitter @shinebox44.
- With additional reporting by Kelvin Gawley
