City councillors in Fort McMurray have made themselves among the highest — maybe even the highest — highest paid municipal councillors in Canada. Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo councillors voted 7-4 of the raises saying it is justified because they expect to put in additional hours to co-ordinate rebuilding efforts. Seven part-time councillors currently earning $36,000 per year will see their pay rise to $75,000. Councillors Allan Vinni, Keith McGrath, and Sheldon Germain — all part of a newly minted relief committee — will now work full-time. Their pay will rise to $150,000 per year. That’s believed to be the highest base salary for any councillor in Canada.
