THUNDER BAY – Thunder Bay’s city council has approved a small pay bump for councillors and the mayor, with one member vociferously defending the level of compensation they receive.
Council voted 11-1 in favour of a 0.55 per cent remuneration increase, retroactive to Jan. 1, with only Mayor Bill Mauro symbolically opposing the motion Monday.
The move follows a policy established in 2018 to increase salaries for councillors and the mayor at half the rate of Thunder Bay’s CPI for the previous year (the figure was 1.1 per cent in 2020).
The change will see base salary for councillors rise to roughly $34,800, though most councillors pull in closer to $44,000 in total remuneration, with allowances and honoraria.
The total impact on the city’s coffers is $3,000, already included in the 2021 budget.
Coun. Rebecca Johnson said the level of compensation was reasonable given the hard work councillors put in.
“I’m not ashamed to be able to say I make a good remuneration from being a city councillor,” she said. “I put in a heck of a lot of time… It’s hard to stand here and talk about the fact you need to get paid, but that’s what happens. You’re providing a service to the community, and we deserve remuneration for that.”
Mauro did not speak to the item before casting his no vote. All councillors present voted in favour (Coun. Trevor Giertuga is on a leave of absence).
Some, like Neebing councillor Cody Fraser, said council should put an end to the yearly votes on their compensation, and simply lock in the increases at half the rate of CPI.
City clerk Krista Power suggested that might not be possible due to the requirements of Ontario’s Municipal Act.
Councillors had voted to forego an increase in 2020 due to the pandemic, saving the city $4,900.
Council remuneration by the numbers
Councillors earned a base salary of $34,602 in 2020. That rises to around $44,000 for most councillors, with benefits and other add-ons.
With additional payment for sitting on boards and committees, Coun. Mark Bentz had the highest total remuneration of any councillor, at $50,812. Coun. Brian McKinnon had the lowest, at $40,043, followed closely by Johnson at $40,422.
Coun. Peng You claimed the highest expenses last year, at $3,960, while councillors Aiello, Fraser, Oliver, and Ruberto claimed none at all.
Mayor Bill Mauro earned a base salary of $101,691 in 2020. His total remuneration with allowances and honoraria reached $129,719.
Remuneration and expenses paid to mayor and council in 2020 totalled $693,255.
The full report on councillor expenses is available online as part of the March 22 city council meeting materials.
According to a 2018 report from the Association of Municipal Managers, Clerks and Treasurers of Ontario (AMCTO), the average councillor in cities with 100,000 to 250,000 people made just over $34,000 in base salary.
