Councillor Wages Rise More Than 30 Per Cent Since 2021

Coun. Andy McGrogan voted against Monday’s motion which represents a more than 30 per cent pay bump for councillors over the past four years. (Photo Kelly Allard)

City councillor’s will be getting a more than 13.7 per cent a year raise on top of a 16.5 per cent received over the past four years while maintaining yearly increases tied to inflation.

The more than 30 per cent increase over the past four years has seen part-time councillor wages rise from $45,476 to $52,977 this term and, starting in November, will go up to $60,236.

“For all of us who may be running again, it’s a very unfair and uncomfortable position to be in to vote ourselves a raise,” Coun. Andy McGrogan said of the motion to increase councillor wages by nearly 14 per cent.

Coun. Robert Dumanowski (above) and Coun. Shila Sharps (below) both voted to approve a 13.4 per cent pay increase for the council seats they are looking to reclaim next month. (Photo Kelly Allard)

The mayor’s wages have also seen a 16.5 per cent bump over the past four years, going from $136,639 to $159,176 but that full time position won’t see a raise in November.

All of council will continue to see annual raises indexed to inflation starting the second year of the term.

McGrogan, who’s running for mayor, eventually voted against the motion. Despite his expressed reservations, his position wasn’t shared by either councillors Shila Sharps or Robert Dumanowski who both voted to approve the raise and are running for re-election.

“It’s better that we do it than the next council. I can’t even imagine the amount of grief they would go through if on day one they gave themselves a raise,” said Sharps, who’s running for re-election, added this council has taken a lot of grief and can take a little bit more.

Coun. Darren Hirsch, who announced at the beginning of Monday’s meeting he wouldn’t be seeking re-election, was the only councillor to join McGrogan in voting against the pay bump.

The wage adjustments come a year following the city’s renumeration policy stated goal of conducting a substantive review prior to the end of the third year of a council’s term.

Council and city staff appeared to fumble at calculating just how much of a raise they’ve received over the past four years during Monday’s council meeting.

“If you could just remind us what this council has taken in the way of a percentage wage increase since our term began in 2021 until now,” asked Coun. Andy. McGrogan of acting city manager Tarolyn Aaserud.

“Sorry, I don’t have it from the start of the term what the increase is,” she responded.

McGrogan, who’s chair of the Administrative and Legislative Committee which has had the issue before him twice in that role since August, stated there was a single year which saw a more than six per cent increase.

Council was eventually able to locate the actual dollar amounts of the raises.