A New Westminster city counsellor is putting forth a plan that would give local politicians a break on the cost of babysitting.
Jaimie McEvoy is proposing that members who are required to attend special events on behalf of city be able to claim up to $40 a day for childcare.
He thinks that the cost of childcare for young families may be one of the reasons so few mothers and fathers of young children run for city council, and he wants to change that.
"How do you encourage people with families, people with young children, to participate? So there are barriers to that," he said.
A staff report says the financial impact of the child-care reiumbursement would be less than $500 per year.
The idea has been used before. A similar resolution was passed in Delta in 1995, but the city's mayor says it has rarely been used.
People CTV News spoke with on Monday had mixed reactions to the proposal.
"It seems like a valid expense," one woman said.
"Anything that's good for children I'll go for," another woman said.
"Nobody else is allowed to expense their babysitter," one man said.
McEvoy says he's had some harsh backlash, but he still supports to the idea.
Late Monday afternoon council decided to remove the motion from its meeting agenda but the public may still be able to say who will be able to pay the babysitter at tonight's council meeting.
With a report from CTV British Columbia's Julia Foy
