Squamish council will consider a bylaw amendment on Tuesday, September 29, that would set the mayor’s annual salary at $125,000 and councillors’ salaries at $45,000, effective in 2027.
The proposed change follows a review by Western Compensation & Benefits Consultants. According to a staff report for the Sept. 29 council meeting, the review found Squamish council salaries were slightly below the average of 11 participating municipalities.
Councillors’ pay is tied to the mayor’s salary. The amendment would lower that ratio from 42.2 percent to 36 percent, producing the proposed $45,000 annual councillor salary. Both salaries would continue to be adjusted each January under the District’s compensation policy.
The amendment would also add life insurance to council benefits and allow reimbursement of up to $2,000 a year in legal expenses under the council conference and expense budget.
Council supported the salary changes at a July 14 committee meeting and the legal expense provision at a Sept. 22 special meeting, the staff report says. Staff are now asking council to give the amendment its first three readings on Sept. 29. If it receives those readings, the bylaw would return for adoption at a later meeting.
The report does not state the mayor’s or councillors’ current 2026 salaries, so the size of the increase over their present pay is unclear from this document.
Another newspaper reported, in July of this year, that the mayor’s salary is $106,000. Councillors earn, on average earn around $45,000. The mayor is considered full-time and the councilors are part time (a few indicated it was 2 days per week)