It’s going to cost taxpayers about $70,000 to say goodbye to two of New Westminster’s veteran politicians.
Under a policy approved several years ago, Mayor Wayne Wright and Coun. Betty McIntosh qualify for a separation allowance.
“The policy is that they get 10 per cent of their annual indemnity for each year of service. That was made effective Dec. 1, 2008, and there is a 12-year cap on that,” said Joan Burgess, the city’s director of human resources. “For Betty McIntosh, it means about $20,000, and for Mayor Wright, former Mayor Wright, it would mean about $50,000.”
Former Coun. Bob Osterman was the first to receive the separation allowance after being defeated in the 2011 election.
“It’s like a tiny pension,” McIntosh said. “I will have to put it right into an RRSP or it will be taxed.”
Burgess said Wright and McIntosh would probably get paid their separation allowance sometime in December.
“When you think of politicians they basically give up their business or job for a period of time,” she said. “It’s fairly common practice in most municipalities.”
The city adopted the separation allowance as part of an updated council remuneration policy in the fall of 2010. The separation allowance is to be paid to members of city council when they no longer hold office.
“It is generally paid at the termination of their term of elected service and is primarily focused on mitigating the impacts to the individual of transitioning out of elected office back to private life,” stated the 2010 staff report. “The practice is to base the calculation on the separation allowance on that used by the city for the calculation of municipal pension contribution on behalf of employees.”
Until losing his seat to Jonathan Cote in the Nov. 15 election, Wright had been elected mayor in each election since 2002. McIntosh, who served 15 years on council, retired from politics and opted not to run in this year’s election.
