The Regional District of East Kootenay (RDEK) board of directors this morning unanimously agreed to increase remuneration for elected officials.

The board agreed to recommendations made by chief financial officer Holly Ronnquist to increase a variety of stipends paid to directors, including a 4.9% average increase for electoral area directors ($1,000 a year increase) and change municipal directors’ stipends to 50% of that paid to electoral directors, with an average increase of 5.3%.

The board chair’s annual stipend will increase by $3,000 a year and a vice-chair stipend of $3,000 has been implemented. Public hearing rates climbs from $50 a meeting to $75.

Under Bylaw No. 2747 – Board Remuneration Bylaw – electoral area directors earned $21,359 in 2016, and the remuneration climbs to $22,359 in 2017, $23,359 in 2018 and $24,359 in 2019.

Municipal directors earned $10,680 in 2016 and will earn $11,180 in 2017, $11,680 in 2018 and 12,180 in 2019. Those directors also earn municipal remuneration for their seats on district or city councils.

The RDEK board chair will earn an extra $18,000 a year on top of the director’s remuneration, while the vice-chair will get $3,000.

The increase to the regional budget from the raises will amount to $137,268 over the next four years.

The tax increase required to cover the raises will amount to 53 cents on a $300,000 property in 2017, 73 cents in 2018 and 92 cents in 2019.

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