High-rolling Toronto Councillors earn $128,000 each yearly and say they deserve more.
Toronto City Councillors now earn about $128,000 yearly and there are calls for a pay increase due to their large ridings and heavy workloads.
A motion to increase the compensation and office budgets of the City’s 25 Councillors will be considered by Council on November 13.
A motion by Councillor James Pasternak, seconded by Councillor Chris Moise, is seeking an updated review of Councillor compensation; to adjust their payments to their counterparts, and regularly review their compensation, and that of their office staff.
Council “request the City Clerk to report to City Council by the fourth quarter of 2025 on options to modernize the job descriptions, salary bands, and the compensation envelope for staff in Members’ offices,” according to the motion.
Councillors say they have the largest ridings and a high work load and deserve more pay.
It said in 2018 Toronto City Council was reduced from 44 to 25 councillors by the provincial government.
“Toronto now has perhaps the most populous wards of any major city in in North America and Europe,” according to the Councillors. “In order to manage this volume of work, at its first meeting of the 2018-2022 term of office, Council increased their staff budgets.”
Council requested the City Manager and the Chief People Officer to report back on the motion at the December 17, 18 and 19 City Council meeting.
Some residents are crying foul since Mayor Olivia Chow said the City is broke and Toronto Councillors are among the better paid politicians in the province.
Mayor Olivia Chow earns more than $206,000 yearly and the Toronto Police Chief in excess of $230,000 annually plus office perks.
Councillors earn about $128,000 yearly, depending on the committees they sit on. Mayor Olivia Chow earns about $206,000 yearly.
Regionals councillors outside the city earns about $40,000 yearly. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is paid about $410,000 yearly.
A federal MPP earns a base salary of $116,550 and additional responsibilities come with more money, ranging from $16,000 to $50,000.
The politicians are also eligible for one of the best pension plans in Canada.
In addition, the estimated salary for Toronto Police Chief Myron Demkiw is $237,508 yearly plus the perks that comes with the office, as car and driver.