Lambton County council will consider pay raises for councillors at its next meeting.
Councillors’ compensation currently ranks in the 33rd percentile, with a difference of $1,720 below the median.
It's recommended that base salaries for the 15 council members be increased by $1,720, and that council maintain its median 50th percentile goal for the compensation of elected officials.
The recommendation was passed by councilors during a committee-of-the-whole meeting Wednesday.
Warwick Township Mayor Todd Case said he understands the idea of pay raises in today's economic environment is not very popular.
"The reason this was put together and the reason this report showed up is because we were so out of whack for so many years, and then what happens is all of a sudden there's a request that comes or a report that comes from a consultant that says the wages have to increase by $6,000 to $7,000," said Case. "So the reason that comes back is to kind of keep us in that median range."
Lambton Shores Deputy Mayor Dan Sageman said staying current with the compensation is very important.
"As time moves forward and we want to attract a diverse crowd of people that want to be councillors, we need to take into account people, such as myself, who take time away from our jobs and our business and lose money in that respect to come here and do this," he said.
If approved, the increase would bring the salary for elected members to $29,332 and would be retroactive to January 1, 2025.
Councillor Bill Dennis did not support the move.
"I didn't become a politician for the pay," said Dennis." A politician is the only person who is allowed to vote for their pay and I think that is wrong."
Councillor Case said if they don't do it now, they will fall further behind requiring larger increases.
"Don't get me wrong, I'm very satisfied with what I get paid for what I do for the County of Lambton," he said. "But I do think it's important that we look at this and decide where we want to go, because again the past has always put us behind the eight-ball where there's been large increases suggested, and this just keeps us in the range of pay."
In May of 2022, pay raises of over $2,100 were approved by Lambton County Council.
The warden's compensation currently ranks in the 50th percentile at $88,363, while compensation for the position of deputy warden is in the 60th percentile at $46,932 annually.
Lambton County Council meets again on February 5, 2025 in Wyoming.