Wilson explains request for remuneration
Derek Neary
Northern News Services
Fort Simpson (Apr 06/01) - Village council has turned down Mayor Tom Wilson's request for a half-time salary.
Wilson wanted $30,000 a year for the time he devotes to municipal matters. Council rejected the idea during an in-camera meeting on March 19.
Wilson said he expects Fort Simpson will need him to promote the community as the Deh Cho First Nations continue to make progress in self-government negotiations and begin to open up lands for development.
"That's the only way we're going to get out of our financial dilemma is attracting businesses," he said, noting that funding cuts from MACA are impending.
Future development holds promise, especially with someone to lobby for Fort Simpson, he said.
"Nobody thought that things would be gearing up as much as they have. A lot has happened since the summer... if Simpson gets left out, there's going to be a whole bunch of people (asking) 'Why didn't you do this, why didn't you do that?"
"Do they expect it all for free?"
Wilson, who had been working as Nahendeh MLA Jim Antoine's constituency assistant, said he will be looking for a full-time job because he still has to "put food on the table and a mortgage to pay."
He said that he championed the idea of a mayoral salary during his past five years on council.
Mayor and councillors are entitled to an honorarium for attending meetings and daily expenses while on village business away from Fort Simpson.
Norm Prevost, the previous mayor of Fort Simpson, said the village couldn't afford to provide its employees with a Christmas turkey last year and questioned Wilson's request for a half-time salary.
Wilson said village employees got half-day paid Christmas and New Year's holidays and added that the auditor will report that the village's finances are solid.
"We've more than eliminated our deficit," he said. "For last year we're in a great financial situation, but everything depends on what MACA's going to do to us."
Here's what the NWT's cities, towns and villages pay their mayors:
Norman Wells -- $12,500 annual honorarium
Fort Simpson -- $155 honorarium per council meeting; $60 honorarium per committee meeting (conditional upon attendance)
Fort Smith -- $25,900 annually
Inuvik -- $36,000 annually ($3,000 per month)
Hay River -- $19,200 annually ($1,600 per month)
Yellowknife -- $71,994 annually (full-time salary)
