A report going to the Metro Vancouver finance committee on Thursday (November 12)  reveals big pay disparities between local mayors and members of their councils.

It shows that Vancouver mayor Gregor Robertson's salary, $136,232, is more than twice the $60,014 paid to members of Vancouver city council.

Some of those members of council work harder than the mayor. It is any wonder that in  2008, then-NPA councillor Peter Ladner tried to knock off incumbent NPA mayor Sam Sullivan?

In West Vancouver, there's an even greater disparity. Mayor Pamela Goldsmith-Jones earns more than three times the amount paid to West Vancouver councillors. She collects $65,047, whereas councillors  receive $21,682 on an annual basis.

Surrey mayor Dianne Watts has a $109,615 salary, which is almost double the $55,462 paid to members of Surrey council.

Keep in mind that mayors are almost always appointed to the board of Metro Vancouver, where they can supplement their incomes. Not all councillors are in line for these appointments, which pay $316 per meeting and $632 for any meeting lasting more than four hours.

The greatest percentage differential between the mayor and council  is in  the City of North Vancouver. The mayor, Darrell Mussatto,  has a compensation package worth $89,701. Councillors collect $31,030.

In the nearby District of North Vancouver, Mayor Richard Walton collects $92,096 in remuneration, which is  far above the $36,838 paid to members of the district  council. Walton earns an additional $31,610 as vice chair of Metro Vancouver.

As chair of Metro Vancouver, Delta mayor  Lois Jackson collects $63,220 on top of her mayoral remuneration of $100,523. Members of Delta council are paid $42,971 per year.

Here are some other examples, which demonstrate that these gaps  exist across the region:

* Richmond mayor Malcolm Brodie collects $105,908, which is more than double the $50,916 paid to councillors.

* Burnaby mayor Derek Corrigan has a $97,414 salary, which is more than double the $43,298 paid to councillors in the city.

* New Westminster mayor Wayne Wright's $81,987 pay package  is more than three times  the $31,534 paid to New Westminster councillors.

* Coquitlam mayor Richard Stewart earns $114,371, which is well above the $49,770 going to members of council.

* Port Moody mayor Joe Trasolini is paid $69,114, whereas Port Moody councillors earn just $24,191.

Port Moody councillor Diana Dilworth  or Coquitlam councillor Fin Donnelly could more than triple their incomes if they win the New Westminster-Coquitlam federal byelection on Monday (November 9).

A good city councillor can save the taxpayers a great deal of money. Hardworking city councillors deserve more money. There are a few who "phone it in", but many put in just as many hours as their local mayor.

Here are  two suggestions:

* Raise the pay of councillors across the region  to 65 percent of the local mayor's salary in cities with more than 100,000 residents. Increase the pay of councillors to 50 percent of the local mayor's salary in municipalities with fewer than 100,000 residents because smaller jurisdictions require less work.

* Deduct five percent  of that income  from those who are appointed to the board of Metro Vancouver. Apply those deductions to mayors as well as to councillors. Those who aren't on the board of Metro Vancouver often spend more of their time working on municipal business.

Every year, Premier Gordon Campbell attends the Union of B.C. Municipalities convention and tells politicians that they do important jobs in their communities. His words suggest he values their contributions.

It's time for Campbell to offer more than words. He should expend a little bit of political capital and bring in legislation that will improve the lot of municipal councillors. If the premier chooses to do this, it would eliminate the inevitable backlash  applied to local politicians who vote for salary hikes for themselves.

In recent years, we've seen whopping pay increases for senior bureaucrats, including police  bureaucrats,  at the municipal, regional, and provincial levels. Some of these raises have been downright disgusting.

A modest increase for city councillors does not fall into the same category. Some of them have kids to raise, and these kids don't see them when they're at public hearings well into the night.

Many of these  councillors  also treat  their positions as full-time jobs, particularly in bigger municipalities.  Denying  these people  an increase  is meanspirited and petty.