The new administration in Longueuil, Que. City council, the fifth most populous municipality in the province, submitted a notice for a motion at its first council meeting related to a statute on the remuneration of elected officials.
Specifically, the motion seeks to readjust the annual salary of Catherine Fournier, the newly elected mayor, cutting it by approximately $ 65,000 and limiting it to $ 185,000.
Read more:
Catherine Fournier, the youngest woman elected to the Quebec National Assembly, leaves PQ
The annual salary of the former Longueuil mayor, Sylvie Parent, was around $ 250,000, making her the highest-paid elected official in Quebec, according to sources. However, the total remuneration of the mother took into account her roles in various regional bodies.
To explain his initiative, Fournier said that it is inconceivable that the salary of the mayor of Longueuil is higher than that of the prime minister of Quebec and the mayor of Montreal.
Read more:
Mayor Wanted: Some Quebec Cities Struggle to Find Municipal Candidates
He said that acting quickly was a first step in restoring and increasing citizens’ trust in their democratic municipal institutions.
Fournier added that his salary cut will come from the part that is financed by Longueuil taxpayers and not from the different bonuses to which he will be entitled and that come from other authorities. The part of the salary saved can then be redistributed for other purposes in the municipal budget.
Fournier believes that Quebec is ready for dialogue on the remuneration of elected officials at all levels of government.
– With files from Annabelle Olivier of Global News
© 2021 The Canadian Press
Reference-globalnews.ca