THUNDER BAY – Thunder Bay's city council appears to be happy sticking with a 2018 policy pegging councillors' pay increases at half the rate of inflation, ahead of a decision on the issue next month.
Council will vote on whether to approve the hike in early May, after receiving a report in March disclosing the salaries, benefits, and expenses paid to councillors, as well as citizens council appoints to local boards and committees.
The base salary for city councillors was $33,589 last year, including a $2,750 car allowance.
Including fringe benefits and stipends paid by some committees and boards, councillors were paid between $39,087 (Coun. Brian McKinnon) and $50,179 (Coun. Mark Bentz), with the average at $44,997. Mayor Bill Mauro, the only member of council considered full-time, received $126,528.
The increase recommended for 2022 will be calculated at half the rate of Thunder Bay’s CPI for the previous year, following a policy established in 2018.
It’s a policy Mayor Bill Mauro said he supports, despite casting a lone vote against the pay bump last year.
“I think the process council has in place is a very good approach, actually,” he said. “It keeps the politics out of it as best it can, even though for whatever reason, it’s a highly political issue for the electorate.”
Councillors voted to forego the increase in 2020 due to the pandemic, saving the city $4,900. The 0.55 per cent increase approved last year over Mauro’s objection cost the city $3,000.
That amount is "more symbolic than impactful," Mauro acknowledged, but said the issue was symbolically important in a year where the pandemic was hurting many residents and businesses.
All told, remuneration and expenses for councillors and citizen appointees cost the city $675,686 in 2021, a slight drop from $693,255 in 2020. The difference is explained largely by the fact 2021 contained one fewer pay period, staff said.
Mauro demurred on whether the current level of compensation is appropriate.
“I have no opinion on it, whether it’s too high or too low,” he said. “It’s what previous councils established.”
Coun. Rebecca Johnson believes it’s just about right for what she called a demanding job.
“I’d say it’s good compensation, there’s no question about that, but we average out to what other municipalities receive,” she said, citing a 2018 review by the city clerk’s office. “We’ve made a decision to have an annual increase, which is very fair.”
She’s been the loudest voice in defending councillor salaries, but has no desire to see them increase further.
“That’s not why you should be running for council, and if that’s your only income, then that’s what you’d live on,” she said. “[It’s] above the poverty line.”
Neebing Coun. Cody Fraser said he’d prefer to see the question taken out of council’s hands altogether and salaries simply tied to inflation, if the annual vote wasn’t required under provincial law.
“Raising our salaries by half the rate of CPI is very miniscule in the grand scheme of things,” he said. “It becomes a political issue where we’ll vote down a raise because of things going on in the world.”
Residents who call into question the amount councillors receive may not appreciate just what most of those elected put into the role, said Johnson.
That includes expenses like driving to community events, clothing, and what she described as a major time commitment.
“I don't believe this is a volunteer [role]… this is a job,” she said. “They talk about it being a part-time job, but you know, I put in 45 to 60 hours a week, and I feel very strongly one should be compensated for that.”
Fraser agreed with that assessment.
“People don’t run for council for the pay cheque, but they should be compensated fairly for their time,” he said. “This job is quite time-consuming and, depending on the time of year, it’s a full-time job or perhaps more than full-time.”
How much to pay councillors will likely be considered as the city clerk’s office prepares a review of council’s size and composition in 2023, Fraser noted.
