The Mayor for Ritchot will be establishing a Council Indemnity Task Force.

Chris Ewen says he would like to see something similar to what Steinbach did last year when it created a committee, made up of residents to make recommendations on how much council members should be paid. The Steinbach group included a Chartered Professional Accountant, the Executive Director of Bethesda Foundation as well as a former Mayor. The three people appointed researched rates of pay and the workload, made comparisons to other municipalities and levels of government and then made recommendations.

(Ritchot Mayor Chris Ewen)"I thought it was a great idea," says Ewen. "I'm tired of seeing councils making up their own pay scale because sometimes it gets abused, not all the time, we have some very good councillors around Manitoba that are fair and just but I just think it's time to start putting our indemnities and salaries back into the hands of the ratepayers because they are the ones that are paying us."

Ewen says he believes this will bring transparency, showing ratepayers that council wants to work with communities, even when it comes to setting pay scales.

Initially, Ewen had thought about asking former councillors or mayors from Ritchot, but has since decided to rather try building a team from individuals living outside the area.

"It's people that we are limited to know, so it makes it a little bit more transparent," he says.

Ewen has asked each councillor to submit the names of four individuals who could be part of this group. The Council Indemnity Task Force would then be built from some of these names. Ewen would like to see this group set up in the next couple of weeks and then establish indemnities and salaries for the next four years.

"We hear a lot of the time why is council making their own pay scales?" says Ewen. "I agree, we shouldn't be doing that, let's start getting other people involved."

In January of this year, council approved a pay raise for the mayor and councillors of more than three per cent.

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