Pincher Creek town council approved a revised remuneration bylaw at its Feb. 23 regular meeting, finalizing months of discussion over how elected officials are compensated and how annual adjustments should be handled.
Bylaw 1578-26, which received second and third readings, introduces automatic cost-of-living increases tied to the consumer price index and clarifies which community events, meetings and training sessions qualify for compensation.
The decision followed earlier reviews in December and January, when councillors asked administration to refine definitions and outline clearer guidelines.
The bylaw returned to council after earlier review at a Dec. 3 committee of the whole meeting, where council asked administration to better outline which events are considered preapproved and eligible for compensation.
At the Jan. 26 regular meeting, council again deliberated on the revised draft. The substantive change at that time was the addition of wording stating that the chief elected official and councillors would receive the amount listed in the bylaw for each preapproved event attended, applying existing remuneration rates to those events.
Council delayed first reading and directed administration to provide additional clarification. Key areas flagged for revision included defining preapproved events, outlining compensation for training sessions and establishing a framework for annual remuneration adjustments.
Administration’s final draft introduced an annual adjustment section stating that remuneration rates would be automatically indexed each Jan. 1 based on the preceding November consumer price index for Canada or Alberta, whichever was higher.
Council had previously expressed interest in embedding a cost-of-living mechanism to avoid repeated debates over pay adjustments.
Changes were also made to the list of preapproved events eligible for compensation, with Allied Arts annual events removed.
The list now includes Town of Pincher Creek facility tours, emergency preparedness events, local non-profit annual general meetings, seniors home visits, National Indigenous Peoples Day events, Heritage Acres activities, chamber of commerce events and meetings with provincial or federal representatives.
Under the updated structure, monthly stipends are set at $1,200 for the mayor and $600 for councillors. The meeting rate for regular, special and other council meetings is $235 per meeting. Committee meetings and preapproved events follow the same structure, with $120 paid for meetings up to three hours and $235 for longer sessions.
Training compensation has been added, with councillors eligible for $120 for sessions lasting up to three hours and $235 for sessions exceeding that threshold.
Meal reimbursement limits were also increased, with lunch allowances rising to $30 from $25, supper limits increasing to $50 from $35 and the full-day maximum adjusted to $100, up from $80.
Mileage reimbursement remains tied to the federal Canada Revenue Agency rate, while entertainment, travel and accommodation expenses continue to be reimbursable at actual cost with receipts.
Both second and third readings were carried.
By Somya Lohia, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
Original Published on Mar 04, 2026 at 09:36
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