County councillors will see a pay rise retroactive to Jan. 1.
In reviewing compensation, CAO Gary Dyke said the 2024 rates for upper-tier politicians, “are considerably less than the median compensation rates for the other 13 comparable member municipalities of the Eastern Ontario Wardens’ Caucus (EOWC).”
It had been $46,682.16 for warden, $20,833.44 for deputy warden and $19,218.36 for councillors. The EOWC median salaries are $57,519.18 for warden, $25,200.81 for deputy warden and $23,242.41 for councillors.
Dyke suggested going with the EOWC median…with the warden’s salary jumping by $10.837.02, the deputy warden’s by $4,367.37 and councillors’ by $4,024.05.
It should be noted that is in addition to what they are earning from their townships. So, for example, County warden Dave Burton will now receive $57,519.18 as warden and $32,500 as mayor of Highlands East, for a combined salary of just over $90,000. Coun. Murray Fearrey will pull in $23,242.41 as a County councillor and $40,000 as mayor of Dysart for a combined $63,242.41. Both Highlands East and Dysart et al increased pay effective Jan. 1 as well.
All other rates, such as for mileage, and per diems for non-council meeting attendance will remain the same.
Dyke’s recommendation was for implementation on Jan. 1, 2026.
However, Fearrey said the date should be Jan. 1, 2025. He said it was important to implement a year out of the next municipal election, scheduled for the fall of 2026. He said he wanted potential candidates to know the rate of pay well in advance of the next local polls.
“Some of us are getting old here, and we need to be replaced, and we need young people to replace us. And we’re not seeing a whole lot of young people (running for council),” Fearrey said.
He added, “I think we need to move now. I don’t see why we need to wait for a year. If you’re doing the job, you should get the money.”
Deputy warden Liz Danielsen agreed with Fearrey’s intent, but said since they had not budgeted for a pay rise in 2025, perhaps they could spread it over two fiscal years.
Dyke said it would have minimal impact on the budget – at about $40,000 – and the municipality could find the money internally, and not pass the cost on to taxpayers.
Coun. Jennifer Dailloux liked going with an EOWC median salary, “however, I would respectfully disagree that we start any earlier than the beginning of next term. I believe our community is really experiencing hard financial times, and I know that everyone at this table knows and respects that too.
“I think as community leaders, it’s incumbent upon us to set the standard and say we’re not going to take a payrise while folks are hurting this much. But the folks that replace us, that’s another story, and I do fully agree that that we need to get good people sitting around this table, in lower-tier, and salary is part of it. It’s not an easy job. It’s not a well understood job. There is a lot of hatred that comes our way, and people need to be compensated for their pains. But I think given the state of our community right now, we should defer for the next term.”
Fearrey said he understood where Dailloux was coming from, but the money for the increase would not have to impact taxpayers and “the economy could be worse next year.”
Called to a vote, the majority of council approved the pay rise retroactive to Jan. 1, 2025.
