Complete pay package for Councillors: more than half a million a year

News 100 blueBy Pepper Parr

March 5th, 2021

BURLINGTON, ON

 

One last look at Councillor salaries.

In an earlier report we gave data on the city side of the pay package.

The complete pay package for the seven members of Council who are also Regional Councillors is set out below.

total pay pkg 2019

Set out below is the full remuneration along with an explanation as to why Councillors Sharman and Bentivegna get less than the others.

Council remuneration

Both are over 65. The  reduction is due to benefits dropping off at 65, to which Councillor Sharman asks:

” is that fair?”

To be fair, this Council has worked hard.  There are times when they put in twelve hours days in back-to-back in public sessions and then have to get to their desks and catch up on the paper work.

This is not a cushy job.

Full council

These were the swearing-in-night smiles

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8 comments to Complete pay package for Councillors: more than half a million a year

  • perryb

    the tables shown here raise more questions than answers. Why is remuneration less in 2020 than 2019? What are expenses for, and why are they different depending on the councillor? And finally, is the age 65 thing because they now are eligible to collect CPP? (which relieves the City of the employer matching payment).

  • Alfred

    While I don’t always agree with the Mayor.

    It is a tough job deserving of a good wage. The councilors should all be paid a good and identical wage. All of council is underpaid in my opinion.

  • Serving is never cushy! There are those, however, who put in much longer days and have a much greater impact on the well-being of the citizens of Burlington and Halton at a very high personal financial cost and no pay and don’t hide what they are doing behind closed doors in what is supposed to be a democracy. A democracy that only appears to be honoured by one councillor who is gagged by her confidentiality clause ……. The stories are there for the printing! MPPs make the same money are away from their homes for much of the week when in session, far more responsibility and no pension. These salaries voted into place by succeeding councils with a self-interest who reduced our representation to acvhieve this pay level, are exhorbitant …..

    • Jim Thomson

      Really?
      I don’t think the salaries are that exorbitant.
      Look at the sunshine list. Some ordinary Burlington firefighters are making more than the councilors.

      I don’t think it’s a bad thing that the councilors are paid a full time wage.

    • David Barker

      These salary levels are commonly being paid to those in industry and professions with less than 10 years experience. Starting level in the insurance industry is $50,000.

      Anne/David you say.

      “There are those, however, who put in much longer days and have a much greater impact on the well-being of the citizens of Burlington and Halton at a very high personal financial cost and no pay…”.

      Please provide examples

  • Mary Alice

    Many, myself included recognize and appreciate our Council does work hard. This has been a tough year on many of us, many of whom work very hard too. What I am not understanding but do appreciate is why The Burlington Gazette is reporting this right now. Is there something about salaries that is changing based on the recent budget approval and way too high increased tax rate? Transparency is always important. And I side with Councillors Bentivegna and Sharman whose salaries should not be decreased due to age. I do recognize that this is a bigger provincial/federal issue.