As you likely know, I – along with the majority of Council – voted in June 2024 to bring Council compensation more in line with others doing the same work. Those that voted opposed commented that the increase should be adopted the following year or term.

I’ve shared my thoughts on this issue a couple of times on social media, and I wanted to bring that information together here so it’s easy to find.

When this first came forward, I supported a smaller increase. Council ultimately chose to engage an independent consultant, as compensation had not been reviewed since 2008. Based on that report, administration recommended aligning Council pay to approximately the 60th percentile – consistent with the approach we had taken for staff earlier in the year. Importantly, no services or projects were impacted by either decision.

During these discussions, I also brought forward changes to how compensation is structured. Specifically, I motioned that when an alternate attends a meeting, they are paid from the compensation of the member they are replacing – no longer as an added cost. For me, fair compensation needs to be paired with accountability.

The Warden’s pay ($92K) was already in line with comparable municipalities and did not change. Following the adjustment, Councillors earn approximately $31,000 annually.

I understand the public reaction. It’s not common – outside of politics and boards – for a group to vote on its own compensation. If it were, I suspect many people would expect their pay to reflect the responsibilities of the role and how it compares to similar work elsewhere.

For me, this comes down to a consistent principle: I support fair and appropriate compensation. That has guided my decisions for staff, and it guided my decision here as well.