Dear editor,
In a letter, Nick Dernard states that the raise Courtenay’s mayor and council recently voted for themselves is an example of fiscal irresponsibility.
I would like to suggest that this was in fact an example of social responsibility.
Serving on council takes a great deal of time. The mayor and councillors are often required to attend meetings and other events during the day. Too often, only those who are either retired or earning a comfortable income can afford to serve on municipal councils. Given that women tend to earn less on average than men and are more likely to have expenses related to child care or elder care, it’s not surprising that there are often more men than women on municipal councils.
If Courtenay council is to reflect the diversity that exists in our community, then reimbursement has to be adequate for any citizen to be able to afford to serve on council.
Anne Davis,
Courtenay