Councillor in the Municipality of the District of Guysborough have voted against an increase to their stipend.
Warden Vernon Pitts says one-third of a councillor’s remuneration used to be tax-free to offset the cost of travel within a municipal district, but federal officials removed that exemption.
Councillors voted against an increase to their stipend to make up the difference during November’s regular municipal council meeting Wednesday afternoon.
After, Pitts said the change was thrust upon them.
“You’re elected for four years- your term- (and) you run under a certain set of criteria, salary being one of them, remuneration,” he said. “All of sudden, you’re half-way through your term, and the federal government decides to take that away- that certainly changes the water on the beans, it’s not fair.”
Pitts said these are tough economic times, and municipal councillors have to be leaders.
“We’re into some budget restraints (in 2018-19), and we’re looking at more (in 2019-20),” he said. “It’s not fair if everyone else has to put up with a little less- councillors should be no different.”
Pitts said their counterparts in many other municipalities across the province voted in favour of an increase.