Metro Vancouver chair Greg Moore says board will revisit controversial retirement allowances

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      Last month, Metro Vancouver directors created a mini-firestorm when they voted themselves and former directors nearly $500,000 in extra pay.

      It would come in the form of tax-free "retirement allowances" for those who had served on the board at any time since 2007 and were not seeking reelection this year.

      One of the big winners was going to be Metro Vancouver chair Greg Moore. He was in line for nearly $65,000 based on the scheme's retroactivity to 2007 and his decision not to run again in October.

      But in the wake of the controversy, Moore said he plans to bring forward a motion at the April 27 board meeting asking directors to reconsider the plan. 

      In a news release, Moore also said that there will be a recorded vote.

      When this measure was approved on March 23, there was no recorded vote, which generated intense criticism from the Canadian Taxpayers Federation. Because it was done through a show of hands, the public could not go to the Metro Vancouver website to find any written record of whether their local representatives had voted in favour.

      Reconsideration motions require two-thirds approval.

      Moore's declaration that he will revisit the retirement allowances came after West Vancouver mayor Michael Smith told Global B.C. News that he was going to bring forward a reconsideration motion.

      Smith was on vacation on March 23 and missed that meeting. Later, he expressed disgust over the retirement allowances, telling Global that "the whole thing is completely and totally out of bounds".

      Moore is paid $77,474 per year as chair of Metro Vancouver in addition to his $92,270 base salary as mayor of Port Coquitlam.

      Metro Vancouver's vice chair, Raymond Louie, receives $38,737 per year on top of his $82,019 base salary as a Vancouver city councillor.

      Moore appoints Metro Vancouver committee chairs, who receive $387 per month. Members of committees receive $387 for any meeting lasting four hours or less.

      The stipend increases to $775 if the meeting lasts for more than four hours.

      Retirement allowances for directors have been based on the same retirement contributions that Metro Vancouver makes to the Municipal Pension Plan of B.C., which amount to 10.2 percent per year per employee.

      Other long-term Metro Vancouver directors in line for retirement allowances include Delta mayor Lois Jackson, City of North Vancouver mayor Darrell Mussatto, and Vancouver mayor Gregor Robertson, who've all said they won't be seeking reelection.

       

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