Most of us wouldn't mind a gig where we could set our own pay for the job. In fact, it is one of the perks most politicians have at every level. Their only real check on determining what is reasonable is the elector at the ballot box, who can toss them out if they think they are overpaid.

Or toss them out for any other reason or no reason at all. Or re-elect them. That's politics. And it will be coming to a municipal election ballot box near you Oct. 27

City council members in Thompson, who serve a four-year term for what is supposed to be part-time work, are paid “indemnities” for their service to the community. In some provinces it might be called an honorarium or just plain salary. The name is not as important as remembering it's all money by any name for services rendered.

While city council members are allowed to set their own indemnities and travel allowances by bylaw, the current rates in Thompson haven't changed since May 2004, under the previous council headed by former mayor Bill Comaskey, although they are subject to an annual review based on the Consumer Price Index (CPI).

How much you ask? The mayor's annual indemnity is $29,745.45, paid monthly, as all council indemnities are. Oddly, the bylaw doesn't exactly spell out the mayor's indemnity. It just refers to it as being "three times the annual indemnity of councillors,” which happens to be $9,915.15 per annum. The deputy mayor gets $11,068.40 a year.

Also, in the event they experience “lost wages” from their regular day jobs, all members of council are eligible for an indemnity of $171.50 per day or $85.75 per half day if they have to miss work for city council business outside of Thompson.

If the business is inside Thompson, they get $26.50 per hour for their lost wages. In terms of their day jobs, Mayor Tim Johnston is the manager of North Central Community Futures Development Corporation, while deputy mayor Harold Smith is the executive director of the Northern Housing Operations (NHO) branch for Manitoba Housing and Renewal Corporation.

For approved business travel, both members of council and city staff are paid their “actual travel expenses” and “receipted costs of hotel and ground transportation and a $50 per diem for meals.”

While sitting through a televised council meeting every second Monday for on average two hours – sometimes a bit longer, sometimes less – is the most obvious duty councillors, the deputy mayor (who is an elected councillor given the nod by their colleagues for a one-year term) and mayor have – they also sit on standing committees, which usually meet monthly, and external boards and agencies. How many of those bodies they sit on, along with how busy the particular group is, makes up a major part of the workload. As does background reading and preparation, which becomes more onerous every year, councillors say, usually at home and out of sight and mind of the electorate.

As well, the mayor's job in particular has a fair amount of ceremonial commitments attached to it, at least unofficially. If there's a ribbon to be cut for a new business opening or a reception to be held or the announcement of new funding by one of the more senior levels of government – i.e. the province or federal government – it will be the mayor, or in their absence, the deputy mayor who will be counted on to usually be there, although when multiple events occur at the same time, ordinary councillors at times get pressed into that role as well.

The recreation and community services committee, chaired by Coun. Charlene Lafreniere, with member Smith, meets the third Tuesday of the month. The finance and administration committee, chaired by Coun. Oswald Sawh, an accountant who is also manager of community-based programs with the Communities Economic Development Fund (CEDF), a provincial Crown corporation, with member Smith, meets the second Monday of the month, while the legislative and intergovernmental affairs committee, chaired by Smith, with members Lafreniere and Coun. Stella Locker, owner of Locker's Real Estate Brokers, meets the second Tuesday of the month.

Locker also chairs the human resources committee, with member Coun. Judy Kolada, who is executive director of the YWCA of Thompson, and which meets the first Wednesday of the month, while Kolada in turn, chairs the public safety committee, which meets the second Thursday of the month.

Citizen appointees to the public safety committee include Colleen Smook, from McCreedy Campground, Susan Buckle, a real estate salesperson with Locker's Real Estate Brokers, Lou Morissette, who operates Setting Security Consultants and is also a former MLCC liquor inspector and retired RCMP staff sergeant, and Mark Matiasek, general manager of Thompson Unlimited.
The public works and infrastructure committee, chaired by Sawh, with member Lafreniere, meets the first Thursday of the month, while the development review committee, chaired by Smith, with member Locker, meets the second Friday of the month.

The mayor has the right to sit ex officio – or by virtue of office – on all standing committees of council if he so chooses.

In terms of external appointments, Johnston, Coun. Erin Stewart, and Gary Ceppetelli, the city's director of planning and community development, sit on the Thompson Housing Authority, established last November.

Stewart, who works for Manitoba Hydro, another provincial Crown corporation, conducting research and negotiations, also sits with Smith on the board of the Thompson Recycling Centre and Stewart has also been appointed to the board of directors of the Thompson Neighbourhood Renewal Corporation (TNRC) where fellow councillor Lafreniere works on staff as executive director.

Sawh represents the city on the board of directors of the Thompson Zoological Society, which runs the Thompson Zoo, and Northern Detox Programs Inc.

Other external organizations council board of directors appointments include:

Kolada: Community Futures North Central Development; Thompson Library Board; Thompson Downtown Revitalization Committee; and Spirit Way Inc. Committee board of directors;

Lafreniere: Thompson Unlimited; Thompson Urban Aboriginal Strategy; UCN Capital Campaign Committee; and Aboriginal Arts Centre board of directors;

Locker: Burntwood Regional Health Authority (BRHA) liaison;

Johnston: UCN Advisory Committee and Thompson Housing Authority board of directors.