Councillor Harry Bains, who chaired the meeting in her absence, requested that the item be removed from the agenda.
Surrey City Council has postponed a vote on a recommendation to increase the salaries of the mayor and councillors by 8% until the first council meeting in 2025, scheduled for January 13. The proposal was set to be voted on Monday night, but Mayor Brenda Locke was not present for the vote.
Councillor Harry Bains, who chaired the meeting in her absence, requested that the item be removed from the agenda. He explained that the vote should involve all council members, and staff were instructed to bring the report back to the next meeting.
Notably, if the Surrey City Council votes in favor of the salary increase, it will be effective as of January 1, 2025. Under the proposal, Mayor Brenda Locke's salary would rise from $171,150 to $184,899, while the salaries of the city's eight councillors would increase from $87,287 to $94,298.