(September 8, 2023) The total annual remuneration for the Board of Directors of Métis Nation British Columbia (MNBC) now exceeds $1 million, an eye-popping 41.7% increase in one year. The latest figures to March 31, 2023 are contained in the Audited Financial Statements posted by MNBC in advance of the upcoming AGM and they show total Board remuneration of $1,087,359.
The current President’s remuneration is reported at $181,281, while the total remuneration for the Vice President’s position was at $114,777. The other Board members each received remuneration of anywhere from $85,305 up to $98,870. The current Treasurer and Region 1 Director received the third highest remuneration of all Board members at $98,870.
The MNBC Board voted to increase their own salaries last September just before last year’s AGM but the huge increase only became known after the AGM when Board minutes were posted in October. In addition to the total remuneration paid to each director, they also receive monies for travel and meeting expenses which are tax free.
How many other non-profit organizations in British Columbia provide their Directors with more than $1 million in remuneration? Probably very few – if any.
In the meantime, there is no slowdown in hiring more staff at higher salaries. For the period ending March 31, 2023 the number of staff earning more than $75,000 per year more than doubled from 26 to 54 with total remuneration reaching $5.5 million. The total number of staff at MNBC now exceeds 200 with total salaries and benefits estimated to be more than $20 million. It is only an estimate (based on the 2022 published budget) because MNBC has not published a budget for 2023 and other than the Audited Financial Statements for the period ending 6 months ago, there is no financial report from the current Treasurer for the current year.
MNBC has also not revealed how much money they are paying to consultants and lawyers, nor have they posted the names of vendors (individuals and companies they are purchasing goods and services from) paid in excess of $5000 per calendar year. MNBC claims it is their policy to post the list of vendors but no list can be found on their website.
BC Métis Leader and former MNBC President Clara Morin Dal Col said, “This Board needs to be held accountable for the lack of fiscal transparency. They are spending tens of millions of dollars of public funds and asking governments for millions more, but yet they haven’t published a budget.”
Ms. Morin Dal Col, who announced in July that she will be seeking the Presidency of Métis Nation British Columbia in the 2024 election, said, “With the big remuneration that these Board members have given themselves, how can they understand what’s it like for many of our MNBC Citizens who are struggling with the ever increasing costs of food and housing. They are out of touch with the needs of our Citizens and instead of spending so much money on their own salaries, consultants, fancy vans and hiring more staff, they should be addressing the basic needs of our Citizens in a real way.”
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For further information:
Contact Clara Morin Dal Col
Candidate for MNBC President
Email: cmdalcol@gmail.com
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