By paNOW

Sask. FN chief says $194,000 salary excessive

Mar 7, 2013 | 12:13 AM

A Saskatchewan First Nation chief who was named the biggest waster of public funds by the Canadian Taxpayer Federation admits that his pay is excessive.

Last year, Standing Buffalo First Nation Chief Roger Redman, whose reserve is home to 443 people, earned a salary of $194,737, tax-free. He also accumulated more than $99,000 in advances over 10 years.

Redman was this year’s recipient of the Canadian Taxpayer Federation’s Teddy Award for wasteful use of taxpayer dollars.

“We heard our membership loud and clear and I’d be the first one to say that’s excessive,” Redmen said. “So we’re dealing with that in a healthy way and we’re trying to move ahead of the community.”

The band is struggling to maintain social services for its members due to a lack of money, putting excessive spending on salaries in the spotlight.

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Redman said this year council has cut back spending by as much as 35 per cent and put forward a motion banning advances. He also said he has begun paying back his advances.

It is not clear why salaries had not been an issue or why the senate did not attempt to impeach councillors since Redman was elected in 2010.

He and five councillors came under scrutiny after Stella Isnana, the sixth band councillor, made a formal complaint of misspending to the senate council.

Redman said the allegations are false and that his administration maintains a record of transparency and accountability.

“We’ve always been transparent with our expenses in our finances,” he said. “Those are public record and we presented those for the last 10 years.”

In January, the band’s senate committee impeached Redman and the councillors after they refused to attend a meeting about their questionable spending.

The committee has also called for elections to be moved up from Nov. 16 to March 16.

Redman maintains the impeachment and elections are “illegitimate” because proper process was not followed. In addition he alleges some senators were not properly appointed and therefore not legitimate members.

“We have to have a minimum of five senators to make any decisions on any complaints,” he said. “Our electoral officer put a notice out for a call for nominations to fill the vacant senate positions and those positions have been filled.”

In addition, Redman said senate member Marita Crant took six months – roughly $3,000 to $4,000 – worth of bingo money from the band which has not been repaid. According to Redman, Crant agreed to step down from the elders and senate committees.

Crant admits she used the money to pay off her credit card but says it was only $1,067 which she repaid in full.

It is not clear why the issue of the committee’s membership or Crant’s misuse of funds was not brought forth sooner in the debate which has divided the southern First Nation community.

Redman said many of the complaints against him and the councillors are politically motivated and based on personal “issues and vendettas.”

“A lot of this is preemptive to our election,” he said “It’s sad to see but people want to discredit other people.”

Redman said he is taking legal action against Crant for accusing him of stealing funds and he is currently embroiled in a legal battle over elections with band elders.

As for his recent Teddy Award, Redman said he’s not concerned.

“I’m not very concerned about the Tax Payer Federation because I respond to the membership, that’s who I report to,” he said.

With files from Newstalk’s Ashley Wills, David Kirton and The Canadian Press

news@panow.com

On Twitter: @princealbertnow