By Sam Borsato - @BorsatoSam on Twitter

Full-time positions ‘not yet justified’ for Lethbridge Councillors

Nov 28, 2016 | 8:53 PM

LETHBRIDGE – A final report from a Citizens’ Assembly has determined Lethbridge Councillors’ hours and pay should remain at the status quo.
 
Thirty-six randomly selected citizen volunteers worked with an independent consultant over a one-month period to review the critical role of Lethbridge’s eight Councillors and create recommendations.
 
This was the final step in the unique community engagement process. The assembly came to a consensus after three group sessions and conversations with current Councillors in similar municipalities.
 
All residents had the chance to provide feedback at a roundtable meeting held on October 6, 2016.
 
The assembly ultimately agreed that full-time positions are “not yet justified” at this time.
 
Currently, Lethbridge Councillors earn $29,479 per year as a base salary, plus a tax-free allowance of $14,739 per year, a $10,000 travel budget annually and benefits.
 
In order to achieve the right balance, the Citizens’ Assembly suggested that councillors take advantage of technology, or administrative and research support staff to reduce and manage their workload.
 
“The citizen assembly process exceeded my expectations as a method for City Council to engage the community and receive our feedback,” said Kim Ordway, one member on the assembly.
 
“We were provided with numerous resources and exercises that helped each of us develop our own opinions in a comfortable environment, which informed the recommendation. We shared a sense of duty, heightened passion for our community and gained a new respect for the work done by our council members.”
 
The report has since been referred to a future Community Issues Committee meeting so council can engage in a well rounded conversation before coming to a final decision on the topic.
 
The full report, including all recommendations, is available for the public to view at www.lethbridge.ca/assembly.