Prince George, B.C. – Arguing the timing just wasn’t right, a majority of Prince George School Board trustees voted against giving themselves a 1.5% increase in pay this year.

The Management and Finance Committee review the annual remuneration for trustees on an annual basis prior to March 31.

This year the committee recommended a pay freeze.

“This is one of those times, when you look at remuneration, it’s a small number in relation to the amount of hours we put in at the board,” said Trustee Tim Bennett. “But I’m not interested in looking at it while we have exempt staff still under a (pay) freeze.”

Bennett’s concern was echoed by trustees Sharel Warrington and Trish Bella with Warrington adding “it just wouldn’t feel right.”

Committee chair and Trustee Bruce Wiebe was the lone dissenter, noting he felt a raise, which would have amounted to $270 a year, was warranted considering “the number of activities and meetings we’re involved in and all engaged in to make the district a better place for our students.”

And though board chair Tony Cable wasn’t required to vote on the matter, he asked trustees to “think about our future trustees,” and “value education.”

He noted Prince George city councillors got a 30% pay increase in 2012 because they had fallen so far behind cities of comparable size and said it was something to consider.

Approximately $110,000 was spent on trustee salaries in the school district last year.