City of Powell River Council was scheduled to adopt its remuneration bylaw, but some last-minute changes mean that adoption will be held at a future meeting.
At the February 6 city council meeting, mayor Ron Woznow led the discussion with a motion to rescind third reading of the remuneration bylaw.
“My rationale is very simple,” said Woznow. “There is huge opposition to this policy from all the ratepayers and from the numerous texts, emails and conversations I’ve had with citizens. Against a backdrop of financial uncertainty, to introduce something like this, which will take time, it simply makes no sense. I’m proposing that it be rescinded.”
Councillor Jim Palm said he agreed with Woznow’s suggestion.
“I would much rather see this as part of our budget discussion rather than coming as a single item before council.”
Councillor George Doubt said he was opposed to rescinding third reading of the bylaw and had an amendment to the bylaw that he would like to make.
“I’ve been paying attention to all the various opinions that people have,” said Doubt. “Some of them are valid opinions and some of them have no understanding at all of what this bylaw says and what it is about. I read them [the opinions] carefully and I think about them. That’s one of the reasons I have an amendment to the bylaw that I’d like to propose tonight.”
Doubt said one of the things the bylaw does, that keeps getting lost in the debate, is it freezes the wages of councillors from 2024 to 2026, which is a cost savings.
“I don’t see any emails pointing out the fact that people are unhappy about that cost saving,” said Doubt. “I think people believe exactly the opposite of that. I would like to debate and pass this motion because we have already spent more time on it than is necessarily needed. Most of the changes happen in 2027.”
The motion to rescind failed, with Woznow and Palm in favour of the motion and the rest of council opposed.
Woznow asked staff that if the remuneration bylaw passed at the council meeting, whether the incoming council in October 2026 could appeal the bylaw after being elected. Interim corporate officer Stephen Fleming said once a bylaw is adopted, it can be amended at any time, or repealed, by going through the process of amending or repealing a bylaw.
“Should a new council come in and wish to change the bylaw, that would be within their legal purview to do so,” said Fleming.
Councillor Rob Southcott then put forward an amendment to the article in the bylaw that stated: Commencing November 2026, members of council shall be eligible to enrol in the exempt staff extended health care benefits plan covered 100 per cent by the City of Powell River. Enrolment is optional.
Southcott’s amendment was to remove the word “optional” and replace it with: on condition that such benefits are not provided to the applicant through another source.
Councillor Trina Isakson said “optional” is important. She suggested putting a comma after optional, followed by Southcott’s amendment. Southcott said it would make more sense for “and” to follow “optional.”
The original motion by Southcott, as amended twice, carried, with Doubt opposed. The amended motion reads: Commencing November 2026, members of council shall be eligible to enrol in the exempt staff extended health care benefits plan covered 100 per cent by the City of Powell River. Enrolment is optional, and on condition that such benefits are not provided to the applicant through another source.
Because the bylaw was amended after third reading, adoption will have to be held at the February 27 meeting of city council.
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