Vernon Council to discuss lesser pay increases

Vernon’s Mayor and Councillors will have their remuneration going up next year, but not by as much as previously expected.

After receiving critique from the public, Councillor Kari Gares brought forward a request to have city staff develop a plan to maintain the remuneration rates at the 2025 level for 2026.

This would see the mayor’s remuneration increase by $4,638 to $125,888 in 2026, while councillors would see their remuneration go up $1,716 to $44,863.

Council remuneration is based on a four-year rolling average of the B.C. Consumer Price Index, and the staff report said the difference in rates from 2025 to 2026 equated to approximately $12,445.