Elected officials are paid $322 for every Metro Vancouver meeting that lasts up to four hours. If they are longer than that, the payment is automatically doubled to $644.
Membership on several committees can quickly plump up an elected official’s bank balance, and for Rick Green, that meant that in 2010 he earned $14,669 for Metro Vancouver business, on top of the $93,724 he earned as mayor of Langley Township.
In 2009, Green earned $13,088 for sitting on Metro committees.
Last September, after Green admitted he misled council, a majority of councillors punished him by stripping him of his regional directorship.
He still remains the Township’s representative on six committees.
The current director is Councillor Charlie Fox, who earned $1,952 for attending Metro Van business on behalf of the Township.
Councillor Mel Kositsky was the busiest, earning $5,321 for Metro meetings.
Councillor Bob Long earned $3,914. Attending only one meeting in 2010, Councillors Kim Richter, Bev Dornan, Steve Ferguson and Grant Ward each made $322.
The eight councillors make between $36,130 and $38,275 a year, with the larger total earned when they take their turn as acting mayor. Although one-third of their salaries is regarded as a tax-free expense account, they also collect thousands of dollars each year for expenses.
They are due to receive raises in December, a month after the election.