February 11, 2004 

Colleen Jordan votes 'no' to the Councillor’s compensation package.   

“At a time when the province and federal governments have downloaded so many responsibilities to the local tax payer, when municipalities are fighting for a new deal to help with the serious financial crisis we are facing why would we hand back the over a quarter of a million dollar subsidy/grant provided by senior levels of government that covers a portion of Councillor’s salaries.  It just doesn’t make sense.   

“The adjustment to the 75th percentile was overly generous at a time when Regional Council is looking at a tax increase of 6%.  This adjustment could add up to $2,000,000.00 to the budget at a time when our roads are in critical need of repair, and a number of other transit / transportation and other priorities are reaching pressure points.”

Regional Councilors voted to approve a compensation package that eliminated the 1/3 tax free status for Regional Councillors and the Chairperson while at the same time adjusted the compensation to approximate the 75th percentile of the level paid for Councillor/Chair positions in the Regions of York, Peel Halton and Waterloo. 

An adjustment was also made to harmonize salaries and pension/R.R.S.P. contributions with local municipalities.  This adjustment would increase these contributions by approximately 1%.  

An adjustment to the severance package was also approved.  The maximum of 12 months severance (1 month per year of service) was adjusted to increase the maximum to 18 months severance based on 1 month per year of service. 

The following table indicates the cost of the adjustments approved. 

 

Current

Eliminate 1/3 Tax Free

75th Percentile of Comparable

Regions

Cost

Councillor

  27,264.00

    34,130.00

    38,820.00

 

Chairperson

101,000.00

  135,305.00

  146,650.00

 

Total

864,392.00

1,090,945.00

1,233,610.00

369,218.00

% increase

N/A

26.2%

42.7%

 

Pension/RRSP

  43,219.00

  N/A

   76,988.00

  33,769.00

 Note:  Severance costs are difficult to predict therefore that costing is not included.

 The package approved by Council also included direction to adjust salaries for management/exempt staff to maintain a 75th percentile with the comparator group. 

The recorded vote on the compensation package may be viewed on the Region’s website (Council/Minutes) dated  February 11, 2004.

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