The next town council is getting a raise.
The current town council voted to give the group that is elected in 2026 more money, with the council compensation being maintained in the 65th percentile of the defined pay market. Translating that into dollars and cents, it means a raise for the mayor’s position from the current $47,754 per year in base pay to $60,880, or an increase of 27.5 per cent. The deputy mayor position would rise 14.4 per cent, from $31,783 to $36,349 per year while councillor’s base pay would go up 16.7 per cent from $25,229 to $29,455 per year.
The new figures could be adjusted should another review be done in the meantime or if salaries are changed due to cost of living increases, but consultant Marianne Love from ML Consulting indicated the numbers likely wouldn’t vary much if that were to occur.
Town council voted unanimously 6-0 to move ahead with the increase in pay for the next council, with Councillor Peter Courtney not in attendance Monday night.
Love told town council the last compensation review occurred in 2017 where the 65th percentile was established as the base pay rate. The 65th percentile is the dollar rate where 65 per cent of the wage rates in comparator organizations are below this amount and 35 per cent are above.
Currently, base pay rates for all levels of town council are below the 65th percentile, she told elected officials Monday night.
Additional compensation for special meetings is $100 for the first four hours or any portion thereof and $25 for each additional hour up to a maximum of $200 per day. There is a $200 daily per diem for attendance at conferences and workshops and a $75 daily meal allowance. Council members also receive 70 cents per kilometre for the first 5,000 km and receive a laptop. Benefits are provided with full premiums paid by the elected official and there is a $1,500 per year allocation for cell and internet expenses.
Base pay is adjusted annually every Jan. 1 with the same economic adjustment for management/non-union employees, though Mayor Michael Prue said council waived that increase several times during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Love said a survey was conducted of other municipalities to compare remuneration, including the six other Essex County municipalities and Ontario municipalities such as Bradford West Gwillimbury, Stratford, Lincoln, Innisfil, New Tecumseth, St. Thomas and Woodstock.
“Amherstburg is relatively placed within the comparator group having regard to size indicators,” she said.
Love’s report added: “The 65th percentile pay target is reasonable based on the size/scope and pay practice of the comparator group and aligns with the pay target for the employee group. Base pay rates for the mayor, deputy mayor and councillor require an increase to meet the 65th percentile pay target All other elements of remuneration are comparable to the defined comparator group.”
It is also best practice to increase council member base pay annually by the same amount as the employee salary grid, she recommended.
Deputy Mayor Chris Gibb had it clarified that the raises would take place the next term of council and not this one.
“I think if we want to attract good candidates to these roles for the community, I think we need to properly compensate them,” said Gibb.
Current council members accepted the rate of pay when they ran for office, the deputy mayor stated, but “I have no problem pushing this to the next council.” There is another two year to budget for the increases, he said.
Councillor Molly Allaire voted in favour, but admitted she was “shocked” by some of the percentages of the increases. She cited the 27.5 per cent raise in pay for the mayor’s position as an example.
“To me, I feel 27. 5 per cent is quite a bit,” she said.
Allaire said she understands the hard work that goes into the job, but added there is another side to the argument.
“I have the civil service side of me which says we do this because we care about the town,” said Allaire.
Councillor Linden Crain said he supported raising salaries for next term, but not the current term.
“It makes sense,” said Crain. “We’re going to be in line with comparable municipalities.”
Councillor Don McArthur believed it was essential to remove politics from the decision, and if the math and socio-economic conditions are allowed to dictate, it helps make the decision for them. McArthur agreed it should be for the next term of council, adding it could allow the “best and the brightest” to run in addition to others who might not be able to afford to look at running previously.
“As much as possible, you need to allow the best and brightest to run and the 65th percentile gets that done,” he said.
Councillor Diane Pouget said she is not running again, so she had no issue with voting on pay that impacts the next term. Calling it “an incredible amount of work,” Pouget said they don’t just go to two meetings per month, but attend other meetings, functions and have to handle residents’ complaints as well.
“Most of us work our butts off,” said Pouget. “It’s a very time-consuming job and it takes away from our families.”
Prue said this debate was different than the one at Essex County council, where the latter voted for 137 per cent raise and used funds from reserves to pay for it. The county’s raises took effect this term.
“It was wrong, absolutely wrong, to do it,” said Prue of the county’s decision. “(The town’s vote) is different.”
Prue addressed Allaire’s concerns over the mayor’s raise, saying it amounts to $1,000 per month. He also said it was the first increase since 2017 and the increase is about three per cent per year, matching the rate of inflation.
“I think the next council deserves it,” he said of the increase. “I’m very proud it’s not this council. I am very proud we are not doing what the county did.”
Next term of town council to get raises
By Ron Giofu
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