MOUNTAIN VIEW COUNTY - Following a compensation review that looked at remuneration levels in comparable municipalities, administration has recommended the Mountain View County reeve and councillor remuneration be increased for the next term's council.
County policy requires that a compensation review be conducted every four years to compare existing remuneration rates with comparable municipalities.
Administration is recommending the reeve remuneration be increased by $2,650 and councillor remuneration by $11,809.
If accepted by council motion, the base rates as of Jan. 1, 2026 would be $78,412 for reeve and $56,344 for councillors.
The review looked at remuneration rates in Leduc, Lacombe, Sturgeon, Red Deer, Clearwater, Wetaskiwin, Foothills and Kneehill counties.
During the Nov. 13 council meeting, reeve Angela Aalbers said, “I find one of the more difficult things to do is setting council remuneration, but we do have to remember the council budget overall is 0.2, 0.3 per cent of the total budget that council deals with and when you look at the impact that council has on decision making and the time that is put into these positions it is significant.
“We do need to remain somewhat competitive if we want to encourage younger people to take these positions. We have to remember that younger people are going to have to make sacrifices, they are going to have to do things like child care and these sort of things.
“You try to weigh that balance as to what the remuneration is versus what the job is.”
Coun. Peggy Johnson asked if there was a way for ratepayers to comment on the proposed new rates.
Deputy reeve Dwayne Fulton noted that the proposed new rates are only recommendations.
Council requested administration bring back further information on the matter to an upcoming council meeting, including rates for the deputy reeve position.
