WITH the recent announcement of increased salaries for public servants; for teachers; for regional chairmen and vice-chairmen; increases for pensioners and the increased minimum wage etc, the Region 10 RDC councillors too are calling for an increase in their stipends to $35,000 for 2019.

It is currently $10, 000, which the councillors described as disrespectful and at Thursday’s statutory meeting, which was the last for 2019, councillors called on Regional Chairman Renis Morian to use his account to validate the increase in 2019.

The motion was put to the floor by Councillor Charles Sampson and was supported by all present. Sampson based his argument on the fact that the Linden Municipal Councillors receive stipends of $30, 000; and since they are the third-tier in government, the regional councillors who are second tier deserve more, since their workload spans not only a town, but an entire region. He said, “If the municipal councillors can get $30, 000, I think in a very stingy way, we can start by asking for $35, 000.”

He calculated that the increase for the 16 councillors will incur an additional cost of $400, 000 per month and $4.8 M per year, which he believes can be taken from the chairman’s budget. “I feel we need to step up; councillors deserve more than $10, 000, that is less than 1/6 of the nation’s minimum wage,” he further argued.

Regional Chairman Renis Morian said that he supports the recommendation, but it is not within his remit to authorise the payment of same. He said that he had already pre-empted discussions with the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Communities as he fully supports the recommendations of the councillors, knowing that they deserve increased stipends.

Morian said that he will be making a very strong case on their behalf and will be penning letters to the relevant ministers, including Minister of Finance Winston Jordan, since the disparity between the two tiers of councillors does not speak well. Regional Vice-Chairman Elroy Adolph also supported the motion.