Metro Vancouver Directors Earn Over $500 in 4-Minute Meeting
A recent meeting of Metro Vancouver’s Regional Planning Committee lasted only three minutes and 40 seconds, yet resulted in significant public expenditure. Thirteen committee members, including local politicians, attended the brief session, which was chaired by Township of Langley Mayor Eric Woodward. Despite the short duration, each attending director received a standard stipend of $557, totaling more than $7,200 in fees paid by the public. This equates to an earning rate of approximately $151.77 per minute or $2.53 per second for the participants. Metro Vancouver justified the quick proceeding by citing two time-sensitive agenda items regarding Regional Context Statements for Surrey and Coquitlam, which are necessary for these cities to meet provincial planning requirements. Mayor Woodward criticized the current compensation structure, stating that bylaws prevent him from declining the payment despite his preference to serve without additional remuneration for such brief engagements. He also suggested that the board is too large and requires structural reform. The incident has drawn attention to the rigid compensation policies governing local government officials in the region, highlighting a disconnect between meeting duration and public cost.
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Metro Vancouver Directors Earn Over $500 in 4-Minute Meeting
A recent meeting of Metro Vancouver’s Regional Planning Committee lasted only three minutes and 40 seconds, yet resulted in significant public expenditure. Thirteen committee members, including local politicians, attended the brief session, which was chaired by Township of Langley Mayor Eric Woodward. Despite the short duration, each attending director received a standard stipend of $557, totaling more than $7,200 in fees paid by the public. This equates to an earning rate of approximately $151.77 per minute or $2.53 per second for the participants. Metro Vancouver justified the quick proceeding by citing two time-sensitive agenda items regarding Regional Context Statements for Surrey and Coquitlam, which are necessary for these cities to meet provincial planning requirements. Mayor Woodward criticized the current compensation structure, stating that bylaws prevent him from declining the payment despite his preference to serve without additional remuneration for such brief engagements. He also suggested that the board is too large and requires structural reform. The incident has drawn attention to the rigid compensation policies governing local government officials in the region, highlighting a disconnect between meeting duration and public cost.
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