A recent Metro Vancouver board meeting lasted three minutes and 40 seconds, but Global News has learned that their payday was much bigger than that.
The meeting took place on Thursday morning when 13 members of Metro Vancouver’s Regional Planning Committee gathered, some in person and some virtually, for three minutes and 40 seconds.
The agenda items were procedural, with Township of Langley Mayor Eric Woodward chairing the meeting.
Metro Vancouver confirms that each director in attendance is entitled to a $557 stipend, meaning the meeting, which lasted less than four minutes, cost the public more than $7,200 in fees, paid to the Metro directors, who are also local politicians.
Woodward says the board is too large and the committee structure should be reformed.
When asked about the pay, he told Global News that, “I actually have attempted to not be remunerated by Metro Vancouver on multiple occasions and the bylaws don’t permit that,” he said.
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“You have to take it. Their position is you have to be remunerated regardless of meeting lengths, and that’s not what I would prefer to see…. quite happy to serve without being paid additional for that.”
Based on the length of the meeting, the politicians earned the equivalent of $151.77 per minute, or $2.53 per second.
“The meeting proceeded because the agenda contained two time-sensitive items: Regional Context Statements for Surrey and Coquitlam that require committee and then Board approval so that the cities can pass their Official Community Plans and meet provincial requirements,” Metro Vancouver said in a statement to Global News.
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