By Craig Lindsay, Grand Forks Gazette
At the Jan. 30 RDKB board meeting in Grand Forks, a motion to approve an increase to the director’s monthly stipend by $200 per month, $200 per month for technology allowance (which would’ve combined the present $75 cell phone allowance and $175 technology allowance) and establish a car allowance of $50 per month.
The amount would represent a 36 per cent increase.
“The presentation done (by director Cacchioni) was really good to the Policy, Executive and Personnel (PEP) committee,” said Grace McGregor, RDKB board chair. “It showed the widening gap between what municipal directors get paid and what electoral area directors get paid. Unfortunately, he wasn’t at the meeting (on Jan. 30).”
Electoral area directors represent rural areas A, B, C, D and E, while the remaining directors, the municipal directors, represent larger areas such as towns and cities.
McGregor said the motion was deferred to allow PEP to look at the issue more in depth with the information Cacchioni provided.
McGregor said the different directors play different roles with the RDKB board providing the only local government for the electoral areas.
“We make different decisions,” she said. “That is our main government whereas municipal directors, there main government is their council. So they sit at that table because they share some services as a regional district.”
Grand Forks Mayor Brian Taylor, who sits as the chair of the PEP committee, said it will be an interesting challenge for the committee to have to go over the remuneration issue once again.
“There needs to be more discussion, that’s why its back at PEP,” he said.