Councillors Aren’t Worth Big Pay Increase: CRERAR

Let’s begin this week with a question. What is a politician’s No. 1 job? Answer, to get re-elected.

While we’d like to believe that politicians have big hearts and work in our best interests, unfortunately they’re don’t, and just like most of us their primary concern is looking out for No. 1. The difference is we don’t knock on doors every four years and appear in public regularly in an attempt to convince everyone otherwise. A friend of mine who played on the political stage for many years noted that to succeed in politics it’s important to be seen in public frequently, present a smiley face and shake as many hands as possible.

Some might argue that city councilors deserve a double-digit pay increase because of the long hours they put in, oftentimes working into the night. But let’s not kid ourselves as to why they do so. It’s all about self-promotion.

To be visible, many politicians join organizations such as the local Lions Club, sit in on community association meetings, texting away in some back corner until it’s their turn to speak for 10 to 15 minutes, buy carrot cake at local bake sales, and promote their online persona. They set up booths at local fairs where they use money from their office budget to provide free hot dogs to visitors, pose for photos with constituents, distribute personalized pamphlets and other paraphernalia, and glad-hand, while never seeming to grow tired.

It can be argued that being in public allows councilors an opportunity to listen to constituents’ concerns, but wouldn’t it be more beneficial if they spent time working at home, without interruption, on solutions to problems that never get resolved?

Some simple arithmetic might add more light to this issue. Let’s say a councilor spends three nights a week in public. Further, let’s say these nightly sessions last three hours each. That’s nine hours that could be put towards working on problem-resolution per week. Ottawa councilors work year round but to simplify the calculations let’s say they work 50 weeks per year. That’s 450 hours per year spent galivanting.

Since each councilor’s term lasts four years, the grand total is 1,800 hours. For argument’s sake let’s say each councillor’s salary is based on a 7.5 hour work day, so 1,800 hours translates to 240 days or 32 weeks per term. If a councilor was actually working during these 32 (wasted) weeks, I think most residents would agree that a raise might be in order. Whether or not an increase should be in the magnitude of double-digits is a matter for further discussion. And of course how do we monitor their time. The time they actually do what most people consider to be work? Maybe punch clocks should be Laurier Street’s next high tech investment now that metal detectors have been installed

If city councilors worked as hard as people employed in the private sector who receive six-figure salaries and continue to do real work once 5 pm rolls around, maybe then they could begin to consider giving themselves a pay increase.

Until then they need to prove they provide value for what they currently do.

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