Squamish letter: Disagree with editorial on CAO pay

'Squamish residents expect and deserve thoughtful, accountable governance. Editorial commentary should help foster that conversation, not narrow it.'

The recent editorial [“Editorial: Squamish CAO’s 2025 pay is in line with other municipalities,” July 1] asserting that the CAO’s 2025 compensation is “in line with other municipalities” presents only one side of an issue that deserves a more balanced and accountable discussion. Across British Columbia, inflated executive compensation has been identified as a concern, particularly in the public sector where residents expect prudent stewardship of tax dollars. Simply pointing to practices in other municipalities does not, on its own, justify adopting them here.

Norms elsewhere are not evidence of sound policy. Residents deserve assurance that robust oversight mechanisms are in place, including regular, transparent performance evaluations that link compensation increases to measurable outcomes in service delivery, organizational stability, and public value. Without this, comparisons to other jurisdictions risk becoming a substitute for genuine accountability.

This is especially important given the challenges Squamish continues to face. The municipality must contend with the high cost of replacing facilities that are now well overdue for replacement, strained labour relations as demonstrated by last year’s lockout of the municipality’s unionized employees, and a range of operational pressures that require disciplined leadership and careful financial management. Executive compensation should reflect performance in addressing these issues, not simply the compensation trends of neighbouring communities.

Here’s a question: what is the quality of the recreation facilities available in Fort St. John, Courtenay, or Cochrane? It is concerning that the editorial did not acknowledge these broader factors or the legitimate public debate surrounding executive pay in British Columbia. A more balanced analysis would have recognized that compensation decisions must be grounded in local context, robust oversight, and demonstrated results.

Squamish residents expect and deserve thoughtful, accountable governance. Editorial commentary should help foster that conversation, not narrow it. Vim Sharma Coquitlam