Council paid close to average according to data gathered

WILLIAMSBURG – The report stemming from a $4,600 review of council compensation was accepted but shelved at the Feb., 16 South Dundas council meeting.

The MacCrimmon & Associates report was presented at the last regular council meeting.

“It provides some good information,” said South Dundas councillor Del Jones, although he pointed out that some of the consultant’s comparisons were a little misleading.

The study compared the compensation received by members of South Dundas council to a dozen other similar municipalities. However, in the conclusion, some of the numbers used did not represent an ‘apples to apples’ comparison.

Regardless of the comparisons, the raw data shows that a South Dundas council member’s honorarium is below average. But, once the per meeting fee they are paid is factored in to the South Dundas equation, the cost of council is similar to other like municipalities.

Scott MacCrimmon, who presented the report to council, suggested that South Dundas consider eliminating the per meeting fee and instead incorporate that amount into the honorarium. He also recommended increasing the mileage reimbursement from $0.42/km to $0.46/km, closer to what other municipalities are paying.

Councillor Jones expressed his discontent with increasing any amounts solely based on the survey rationale that others are paying more. He said that simply increasing payouts because someone else does, is in his opinion, the wrong mentality. Honoraria should represent what the municipality can afford to pay, not be competitive with other municipalities. After all, municipally elected officials come from within the community and are unlikely to run for election in another municipality because the pay is better there.

Looking at the data collected for the municipalities surveyed who pay an honorarium and no per meeting fee; the average mayor’s honorarium is $23,808, deputy mayor’s honorarium is $15,186 and councillor’s honorarium is $13,435.

Presently, South Dundas council members receive the following honoraria; mayor - $15,000, deputy mayor - $11,250, councillor - $7,500. In addition to this honorarium, each member of council, in 2008, received on average, $5,692 for meetings, according to the report presented.

Therefore, in an ‘apples to apples’ comparison to half a dozen similar municipalities; South Dundas pays its mayor about $3,000 less than average, its deputy mayor about $1,800 more than average and its councillors about $240 less than average.

After the report was presented to council, South Dundas mayor Robert ‘Rowdy’ Gillard said, “I’d like to see it left the way it is, and let the new council make its own decision.”

South Dundas chief administrative officer Stephen McDonald pointed out that the intent of the study was to have the information to make a decision during this term of council.

Rather than allow further discussion on the matter Gillard said, “We’ll shelve this for now.”

CAO McDonald later confirmed for The Leader that staff will bring a report back to council regarding the issue.

MacCrimmon also recommended that the design of this survey could be used by South Dundas staff as a tool, in house, to gather similar information in future.