Metro Vancouver board payouts reach tens of thousands, analysis shows
(Image courtesy of CBC)
Metro Vancouver board members earn an average of about $25,000, according to a Coastal Front data analysis.
Metro Vancouver’s mandate
Metro Vancouver, previously known as the Metro Vancouver Regional District, is a corporate and political organization created under provincial legislation, functioning as a regional district and greater board to provide regional services, develop policies, and offer political leadership for its members. The board is currently composed of various mayors and councillors in the Lower Mainland. The point of this is to ensure all municipalities are represented when formulating public policy for the region. Per the Metro Vancouver website, the board has 41 Directors representing 21 municipalities, one electoral area, and one treaty First Nation.
Board members given large payments from taxpayers
However, some are given tens of thousands for remuneration. According to a dataset compiled by Coastal Front, the top ten highest-receiving board members are not in the positions many would expect. Metro Vancouver Board Chair Mike Hurley and Vice Chair John McEwen ranked among the top three earners, while Jen McCutcheon, Director of Electoral Area A — which includes UBC, North Vancouver’s wilderness, and Barnston Island — placed second with $70,920 in remuneration. Others in the top ten include Brad West, Mayor of Port Coquitlam, Chris Hodge, Councillor from Coquitlam, and Malcolm Brodie, Mayor of Richmond.
Information received from the 2024 Metro Vancouver Financial Statements.
Despite being some of the fastest-growing and economically powerful cities in the Lower Mainland, the top ten earners from 2024 do not include any councillors and mayors from Surrey and Vancouver. As a matter of fact, Vancouver Mayor Ken Sim had the lowest remuneration of all 41 board members with $2,136. The average compensation for 40 members of the board in 2024 who still serving in 2025 was $27,699.
Is the vast size of Metro Vancouver important?
Metro Vancouver’s board has been criticized for being too large to effectively deal with the problems that plague the Lower Mainland. This has even come from members within the board, such as Port Coquitlam Mayor Brad West. In a comment provided to Coastal Front, Mayor West thought Metro Vancouver was too big and that he didn’t know how Metro Vancouver could solve issues given its size. Some metro Vancouver mayors are already paid handsomely for their work, even without additional Metro Vancouver compensation, raising the question of whether such remuneration is necessary at all.
With the issues affecting Vancouver, perhaps a haircut is needed. Whether it's trimming the board down to only a single representative per city or lowering compensation, given the BC deficit crisis, any cuts can save the province tremendously in the long run.
