Prince Rupert residents are questioning the local council over the mayor’s high salary and the lack of public meetings this year, when compared to neighbouring communities, such as Terrace, Kitimat and Smithers.
Herb Pond was elected mayor of Prince Rupert in 2022 and has been serving in the position on a full-time capacity. He is now facing online critiicm and has released a statement to clear the air.
Pond said more meetings does not mean more gets done.
“I take pride in keeping council meetings as brief and as few as possible. More meetings don’t mean that more is getting done. Meetings are necessary for staff to get direction from council, but they also burn up a great deal of staff time, that is better spent on things that matter.”
When defending his wage, he said during former mayor Lee Brain’s tenure, the role of mayor transitioned into a full-time role allowing Brain to raise millions of dollars and accomplish several major projects, and that he puts in more time than the neighboring mayors who only take on a part-time role.
“There have also been comments on my wages and expenses, and that’s fair. A previous council, on the advice of a citizens committee, determined that Prince Rupert is very different from our neighboring communities and would benefit greatly from the full-time attention of a mayor.”
Another factor contributing to the mayor’s salary is that council has to travel to advocate for the community and improve the city’s economy and infrastructure.
“I wish it weren’t so, but the reason we get more than other communities is partially because we travel to get in front of the right decision-makers. We get formal meetings in the Victoria, Vancouver and Ottawa offices. I track down where they are speaking and sit right up front to remind them,” said Pond.
“We travel in support of the PRPA’s efforts to attract new jobs and taxes from terminals and cruise lines. We travel to push for a fairer settlement of the Tax Cap and a return of the Alaska ferries.”
