METRO VANCOUVER (June 26,2025) – Several Metro Vancouver mayors are taking home salaries that exceed those of B.C. Cabinet Ministers by wide margins — with some earning nearly double. That’s according to newly compiled data that compares 2023 compensation figures for municipal officials against provincial cabinet pay rates, amid renewed calls for pay restraint and fiscal accountability.

 

The trend stands in direct contradiction to a recent Deloitte Board Governance Review, which recommended that the total compensation for Metro Vancouver's elected officials should not exceed that of a provincial Cabinet Minister. In 2023, the maximum base pay for a BC Cabinet Minister (excluding Premier) was $172,112.

 

The Board of Metro Vancouver is meeting on Friday, June 27th to make what many consider as ‘minor adjustments’ to director compensation. This includes the elimination of double payments for meetings lasting longer than 4 hours. If approved, total projected savings is estimated to be $279,671 based on 2025 budgeted amounts.

 

Here’s what 2023 financial reporting exposed in relation to the base pay and per diems received by some Metro Vancouver elected officials (excludes other benefits i.e. car allowance, transition allowance etc..)

 

•    Malcolm Brodie (Richmond) – $312,030 ($139,918 above benchmark)

•    Mike Hurley (Burnaby) – $330,704 ($158,592 above)

•    George Harvie (Delta) – $291,402 ($119,290 above)

•    Brad West (Port Coquitlam) – $276,437 ($104,325 above)

•    Linda Buchanan (North Vancouver) – $193,230 ($21,118 above)

•    Brenda Locke (Surrey) – $213,093 ($40,981 above)

•    Mike Little (North Van) – $161,528 ($27,656 above)

 

Had just these seven officials had been capped at the BC Cabinet Minister salary level in 2023, taxpayers would save over $610,000 annually.

 

A complete list of pay and benefits for municipal elected officials for the 2024 fiscal year is not yet available to the public. However, the City of Richmond recently released a report noting (pg. 266 & 268) the consolidated salary, benefits and per diems received by Mayor Malcolm Brodie came in at a whopping $379,984. 

 

Councillor Daniel Fontaine (New Westminster)

 

"The numbers don’t lie — and they’re offensive. If the Deloitte recommendation had been applied in 2023 alone, we would already be saving over $610,000 per year in unnecessary compensation. When local mayors are earning more than those running entire provincial ministries, we’ve lost sight of public service. This is a betrayal of taxpayer trust."

 

Councillor Kash Heed (Richmond)

 

"Richmond Mayor Brodie took home nearly $380,000 in 2024 — and this after the Deloitte report explicitly warned against runaway municipal salaries. The credibility of local governance is at stake here. It’s time for Premier Eby and his Cabinet colleagues to make sure their municipal colleagues aren’t making more money than they are."

 

Councillor Linda Annis (Surrey)

 

"We must restore balance. No mayor should earn more than a Cabinet Minister, and yet here we are — six-figure gaps and no accountability. It’s time to adopt Deloitte’s recommendation, legislate a cap and end this cycle of excess."

 

The Deloitte Governance Review called Metro Vancouver’s structure "overly complex and expensive," and urged an overhaul of its pay and governance model. The report warned that without change, public confidence in local government would continue to erode.

 

As public scrutiny intensifies, pressure is mounting for municipalities to adopt formal salary caps and align elected officials’ pay with comparable roles across government.