Owen Sound councillors will get a pay raise after accepting a recommendation from a remuneration committee.
The three-person committee presented its report to council on Monday night and the most significant recommendation was that the base salary for councillors be increased from $11,692 per year to $14,000.
Committee chair Ron Hopper says it will bring councillors’ pay in line with those of other Ontario municipalities with a similar population.
That comparison is what led the committee to also recommend the mayor’s base salary be left as is — $30,689.
Per diem wages for meetings and conferences were also left alone. Members of council, including the mayor, will continue to receive $75 for meetings lasting three-and-a-half hours or less and $125 for meetings that run longer.
Recommended changes include the discontinuation of a $100 annual car allowance for the mayor and $500 annual internet allowances for all members of council.
Council approved last January the establishment of a remuneration committee which began its work last spring.
It was directed to bring its findings before the end of this council’s term.
This was the last meeting before the new council is inaugurated on December 6th.
And yet the committee’s recommendations were almost not accepted, as council first narrowly defeated a motion to table the report until budget deliberations in March.
