Pay Scale For Utility and Review Board

The eight members of the Nova Scotia Utility and Review Board will receive a pay increase this year as part of a salary review that brings their compensation in line with senior government officials.

The board chair will now receive $127,534 annually, the vice-chair will receive $116,498, and members will receive $110,366. The increases will total $50,722 and will be effective April 1, 2005.

Environment and Labour Minister Kerry Morash said that although the government sets the salaries, it must do so in a way that preserves the board's independence.

"We conducted a salary review that considered the unique nature of the review board, economic conditions, and the compensation packages offered in other jurisdictions," Mr. Morash said today, July 15.

"The result is a system that is fair to the board members and provides the transparency needed to maintain the Utility and Review Board's independence."

The new system compensates board members based on the pay benchmark for deputy ministers. The chair will receive 104 per cent of that benchmark, the vice-chair 95 per cent, and members 90 per cent.

Under the new plan, the chair will develop a program that makes board members eligible for payments or increases based on performance. This program will be similar to one used for senior government officials.

The chair will receive performance pay only in years when deputy ministers are eligible for it. The amount will be 10 per of his or her salary. This is the same system used for the chief electoral officer and other officials whose independence must be protected.

The Utility and Review Board was established in 1992. It replaced the Board of Commissioners of Public Utilities, the Nova Scotia Municipal Board, the Expropriations Compensation Board and the Nova Scotia Tax Review Board.