Council Grapples with Pay Raise Proposal
Council Debates Duty, Dollars, and Timing Amid Proposed Salary Increase.
**CORRECTION: An earlier version of this story mistakenly attributed a comment to Councillor Rivard that was in fact a comment from Councillor Gagné. The article is now corrected.
West Nipissing municipal council is reviewing a proposed pay increase following a compensation study. Last year, council approved hiring an external consultant to assess their salaries.
The recommendation: increase the mayor’s salary to $44,877 (from $35,482) and councillors’ salaries to $22,532 (from $17,748).
However, the proposal has sparked debate among councillors, with some arguing that the raise is necessary to reflect the workload and costs associated with the role, while others believe it is unnecessary or should be deferred to the next term.
Several councillors supported the proposed increase, emphasizing the need for fair compensation that reflects the responsibilities of the position. Councillor Rolland Larabie was the strongest supporter, arguing that for the last 20 years, councillor salaries have only been adjusted for inflation. Councillor Dan Gagné echoed these concerns, adding that better compensation could attract more people to run for office.
On the other side was Councillor Fern Pellerin, who was firmly against the raise, arguing that he knew the salary when he took office and that council service should not be about money. He also questioned whether the consultants selectively chose data to justify an increase. “It seems they're picking and choosing where they want to go. They're not going to come back and say: "No, no, you guys are... you're making too much!”
The consultant did not take into account most neighbouring municipalities, which hold a similar number of meetings and face similar issues. For example, in 2024 Markstay-Warren paid its mayor $12,169 and councillors received $8,424. In French River, the mayor gets $19,211, and councillors receive $10,292.
Pellerin added “I'm satisfied with what we make right now”.
Councillor Kaitlynn Nicol suggested that if an increase is approved, it should only take effect in the next term to avoid any conflict of interest or the appearance that councillors were giving themselves a raise.
After lengthy debate, council deferred the decision to consider the full compensation package, including potential health benefits. Some believe that if benefits are introduced, it could offset the need for a salary increase.
Council will review these details before making a final decision on their salary increase.
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Why would this mayor or any of these councillors require health benefits. Most have other jobs. Do people realize how much health benefits cost? This would only mean that your taxes will increase yet again!
Just voted themselves a raise a few years ago. When's the last time you've gotten a raise? With a financial crisis coming, not a very good idea. Residents are already paying more for everything with no raise.