NOTL councillors vote themselves a raise

Niagara-on-the-Lake town councillors are on their way to giving themselves a raise.  

During Tuesday’s council meeting, a motion from Coun. Wendy Cheropita was brought forward and approved, outlining what elected municipal officials in Niagara’s 12 lower-tier municipalities earn annually, as well as regional councillors. NOTL’s politicians are lowest on the totem pole, according to research put together by Cheropita.  

Currently, town councillors earn $16,208 annually. Cheropita’s motion asked that this be increased to $20,000, which adds up to a total jump of about $30,000 when the salaries of all eight councillors are increased.  

Coun. Nick Ruller raised concerns about the process, also mentioning a decision on this matter that had taken place during budget discussions, that council salaries be considered as part of a market review.  

Cheropita’s motion was then put on hold to allow staff to provide clarity on what occurred during previous discussions. Clerk Grant Bivol was able to clarify that “there was a suggestion” council wages be included in that review, but no decision was ever made to include it.  

Once hearing this information, Ruller provided some of his concerns, mostly to do with the potential raise being pitched by a councillor and not staff. “I would rather see this coming from someone that is removed from council,” he said.  

“I think we’re opening ourselves up to criticism here,” he added, also noting the public would be displeased if there ended up being inaccuracies in the information provided by the councillor in her motion.  

Ruller said he would like to see an issues of staff salaries “not being comparable to other municipalities” addressed first. “I feel it would be disingenuous to go down this path until we address the staff piece,” he said, calling it more of a “timing issue.”  

Coun. Gary Burroughs also concurred that it would be more appropriate if a salary increase was approved in the form of a recommendation from staff.  “It does appear more objective if it comes from a staff report,” said Burroughs.  

Cheropita told her colleagues she has had conversations with staff about where the additional $30,000 would come from, and noted it would not impact the levy.  

Finance director and treasurer Kyle Freeborn, when asked for clarity by Lord Mayor Gary Zalepa, said the 2024 operating budget included some “conservative estimates” and that there will be a surplus left over that could carry over to the 2025 budget to cover the increase.  

A table included in Cheropita’s motion says regional councillors are the highest paid, with salaries slightly more than $40,000. Niagara Falls city councillors earn more than $38,000, followed by West Lincoln, with a population of about 15,000, the second highest-paid council with each member earning $30,000 annually.  

In St. Catharines, Niagara’s biggest city, councillors earn $25,000.  

Ruller pointed out after the meeting that Wainfleet had not been included. Councillors there, according to their 2023 budget, earn between  $12,538.24, and $13,625.44, He also noted that not all the salaries in the table provided were correct.

The majority of council approved Cheropita's motion.

This story has been edited to eliminate an error that included the lord mayor in the salary hike. The lord mayor's salary is higher than for councillors. It also provides added information about salaries in other municipalities. The NOTL Local apologizes for any inconvenience this may have caused.