Roy L Hales/ Cortes Currents - The Strathcona Regional District will be conducting an independent audit of director remuneration and expenses.

“I received more money than other directors,” admitted Regional Director Jim Abram of Area C (Discovery Islands-Mainland Inlets), who then proceeded to explain how this came about.

Chair Brad Unger explained, “There's no defending anything here. The motion is for an audit of director renumeration. There's no name of a director in that. It's directors, it is all of us.”

Regional Director Brenda Leigh of Area D (Oyster Bay-Buttle Lake) protested, “I see this motion and this whole initiative as nothing but political right before an election!”

When the auditor submitted his report to the board, at the May 11 board meeting, Campbell River Director Claire Moglove pointed out that there was a significant difference in the expenses directors were claiming.

Staff was directed to prepare a report, which Chief Administrative Officer David Leitch submitted at the May 25 board meeting.

There is a marked difference in the base salary the SRD pays municipal and regional directors. Municipal directors are already receiving compensation, and the stipend they receive is for the additional hours they put in as a result of sitting on the regional board. However Regional Directors do not have an additional source of income, this is their only salary.

These differences are expected, the variances Director Moglove was referring to are additional charges.

The first relevant chart is for attending additional board, committee, or public meetings. Jim Abram, the Director of Area C, was given the largest payment, $8,160. The smallest payment in the graph went to Kevin Jules, Director of the Ka:'yu:'k't'h'/Che:k:tles7et'h' First Nations on the West Coast of Vancouver Island, $2,880.

In 2021, eight of the 14 SRD Directors were eligible for renumeration for meetiings they had with external agencies. Only two of them are mentioned applying for compensation. An unnamed Campbell River director received $320. Jim Abram, director of Area C, received $4,800.

There is also specific compensation for Regional Directors attending public hearings, parcel tax meetings, select or special committee meetings , etc. Only two directors made claims. Gerald Whalley of Area A (Kyuquot/Nootka-Sayward), whose area stretches across from the west coast of Vancouver Island to Sayward, claimed $160 for one meeting. Abram, who looks after an even larger area in the SRD, received $9,120 for attending 57 meetings. There were no claims from Area D, or Area B (Cortes Island).