{"id":33778,"date":"2023-11-03T11:28:39","date_gmt":"2023-11-03T15:28:39","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.newspapers-online.com\/auroran\/?p=33778"},"modified":"2023-11-09T22:12:09","modified_gmt":"2023-11-10T03:12:09","slug":"council-approves-pay-hike-after-contentious-meeting-but-debate-is-not-over","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newspapers-online.com\/auroran\/council-approves-pay-hike-after-contentious-meeting-but-debate-is-not-over\/","title":{"rendered":"Council approves pay hike after contentious meeting, but debate is not over"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Aurora Councillors will be paid more for their work effective immediately, following a contentious Council meeting on October 24.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On a vote of 4 \u2013 3, Council members voted to bring their salaries up to $52,000 from their previous salary of approximately $38,000 per year. Voting in favour of the pay hike were Ward 1 Councillor Ron Weese, Ward 2 Councillor Rachel Gilliland, Ward 3 Councillor Wendy Gaertner, and Ward 5 Councillor John Gallo.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Recommendations for the pay raise came out of an arm\u2019s-length committee struck by Council to review Council compensation but the recommendations proved very contentious \u2013 and the fight might be far from over.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Following the vote last week, the pay increase kicked in immediately and will be funded by the tax rate stabilization reserve for the balance of 2023 and will be funded from the same pot in 2024. In 2025, this funding model will be covered 50 per cent by the Town\u2019s tax rate stabilization reserve and 50 per cent by taxpayers and, by 2026, will be fully shouldered by the tax rate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But this arrangement might only last through to the end of this year as the Strong Mayor powers granted to the Mayor of Aurora by the Province this fall gives the Head of Council significant authority over the drafting of budgets.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAs per the legislation, the Mayor is required to present a budget and it is the Mayor\u2019s Budget working with staff and presenting it to Council and the public and that\u2019s what I will be doing,\u201d Mayor Tom Mrakas, who voted against the pay raise along with Ward 4 Councillor Michael Thompson and Ward 6 Councillor Harold Kim, tells The Auroran. \u201cIt will not be included in the budget. What transpired on Tuesday will not be included in the 2024 Budget and the only way it will be if there is an amendment from Council to include it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The move will likely result in last week\u2019s arguments both for and against the increase being rehashed around the Council table when the time comes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Council members tentatively greenlit the changes at the Committee level on October 17 and, in the intervening week between that General Committee meeting and last Tuesday\u2019s Council meeting, the decision sparked a flurry of discussion within the community on both sides of the issue.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Among the thorniest proposals was to make the pay hike retroactive to the start of this Council term, going back to 2022. Near the start of last week\u2019s debate, however, this retroactivity was taken off the table and the proposed new vehicle allowance for each Councillor, initially floated as $7,000 per year, slashed to $3,500.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Nevertheless, tensions remained high and discussions were kicked off by Mayor Tom Mrakas, who said residents \u201coverwhelmingly do not accept\u201d the increase \u2013 a view he shared, he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI do not support any additional increase to Council\u2019s compensation for this term of office and I do not support any increase to the Mayor\u2019s compensation this term or next,\u201d he said, before making a successful motion to nix any salary increase for the Mayor\u2019s Office. \u201cI would like to remind members that Council and staff are already receiving an increase this term. To refresh members\u2019 memories, we just ratified our CUPE agreement with our unionized staff [and] we negotiated a four-year agreement which will see a COLA (Cost of Living Adjustment) step salary of 11 per cent over four years \u2013 three per cent in 2023, 2.5 per cent for each of 2024 and 2025, and three per cent for 2026. It means over the term of Council, members of Council and staff will see an 11 per cent total increase to salaries \u2013 or, to Council members, an increase of up to $4,300 for compensation by the end of the term.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Any changes to Council pay, he added, should be set by the outgoing Council and effective at the start of the next term.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Councillor Kim was next to speak against the changes, stating \u201cpublic trust is critical for a public servant to successfully do their jobs.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThat public trust is critical for us to do our jobs,\u201d he said. \u201cIf the residents are our boss, we have to listen to what they have to say.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Making an ultimately unsuccessful motion to have the matter referred to a later date, he said the extra time would allow the Town to \u201cengage with an external third party\u201d for an in-depth review of compensation with any changes effective for the 2026-2030 term.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Amendments to reduce the vehicle allowance and remove the retroactive component were made by Councillor Gallo. In doing so, he said he \u201cmakes no apologies\u201d for the previous motion as these efforts have been made \u201cto provide equity.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI want to move forward in a cohesive way,\u201d he said on removing some of the more contentious parts from the motion. \u201cI want to be clear that the recommendation for the first two years has zero tax impact. I also want to stress that the full impact on the tax base for this increase, specifically to the wages, is somewhere between 90 and 95 cents per resident per year. I am comfortable moving forward with this notwithstanding the public\u2019s opinion.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Councillor Weese said he was glad to see the same elements taken out of the debate, and said while he was campaigning last year, Council compensation was never brought up. Nevertheless, he said the suggestions stemming from the Committee were based on comparators to like municipalities like Newmarket.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI believe the attempt to place our Council with those in Newmarket was really an obvious thing,\u201d he said, noting he\u2019d like to see a process move forward where a Compensation Review Committee is automatically struck in the final year of the term so these thorny debates don\u2019t happen again. \u201cFor now, the proposal in front of us seems reasonable and represents management of the circumstances, and I believe they have to be managed\u2026. I\u2019ll vote my conscience on this, but listen to my Council colleagues to see what they have to say about all the amendments to this.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Next up was Councillor Thompson who said he didn\u2019t support any increases at all for the 2022-2026 term of Council.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI have had the good fortune to serve on Council for 12 years and in my first term of Council we dealt with Council compensation because the preceding Council of 2006 \u2013 2010 did not do Council compensation,\u201d he said. \u201cIn 2012 we looked at it and in 2013 we made recommendations\u2026for the subsequent term of Council. This has happened before, but never has a sitting Council given themselves a raise.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In response, Councillor Gilliland pointed out that Council received a boost in 2017 after the Federal Government made some of the income received by elected members taxable, but she said \u201cno one likes to be put in this position ever.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cRight now we\u2019re talking about punting it down the line to the next term\u2026 we\u2019re struggling,\u201d she said. \u201cThere\u2019s a lot going on in the economy, there are a lot of people who are struggling with inflation, food and all that. We\u2019re people, too, right? I don\u2019t like being in this position. I really don\u2019t.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Councillor Weese offered a similar thought, citing this as a \u201chuman resources management issue\u201d and all the debate around the table was doing was \u201cproviding division\u2026when we should all be thinking about doing the same things because when we all do the same things and we\u2019re on the same page, we\u2019re going to get more things done.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI am really disappointed we were [fractured] in this way and were involved with this division,\u201d he said. \u201cAt the end of the day, we have to manage this and if we don\u2019t have the courage to manage it right now, we\u2019re just punting that ahead by two years, three years, and that\u2019s not doing anybody any good. It will just be the next Council having to deal with the problems all over again.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As the meeting continued, the level of contention rose, with barbs traded between lawmakers becoming more personal by the minute.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mayor Mrakas said what the Councillors in favour of the raise were doing was \u201cengaging in political theatre\u201d and they had nobody to blame but themselves.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou made the decisions, you need to justify the decisions that you make,\u201d he said. \u201cI justify the decisions I make every week. I have been doing that for nine years with the public where I put out a post and I explain what has occurred at Council. I justify those decisions that I make and I make no bones about it\u2026.. I have been working hard for this community. The residents like it, and it showed in the last election. I will continue to do the job I need to do to make sure the residents receive the best possible service for the best possible price.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThis here, as some have mentioned, Council has signed a four-year contract with the residents of our community. You now want to break that contract with the residents. Tell me that\u2019s not shameful. I have heard that word being thrown out this entire conversation. That\u2019s shameful and no one put anyone into this position, as I said, other than themselves.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After a fraught back-and-forth between he and Councillor Gilliland after the latter said he was trying to get the last word, she described what was transpiring as \u201ca political Gong Show.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI have noticed many times when we don\u2019t get our way, sometimes the Head of Council [has said] we need to collaborate and work together to solve an issue. I would say the same thing for our Council,\u201d she said, before addressing the Mayor. \u201cI understand you don\u2019t want your raise. That\u2019s fine, I agree, you\u2019re the highest-paid Mayor of the N6 (York Region\u2019s northern six municipalities) \u2026 while your Councillors have been the lowest and it\u2019s an awkward, awkward situation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThis has not been easy, it takes guts. I hope that we have come to a solution that is fair, equitable \u2013 equitable pay.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

By Brock Weir
Editor
Local Journalism Initiative Reporter<\/strong><\/p>\n\r\n\"Facebook\"<\/a>\"twitter\"<\/a>\"mail\"<\/a>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Aurora Councillors will be paid more for their work effective immediately, following a contentious Council meeting on October 24. On a vote of 4 \u2013 3, Council members voted to bring their salaries up to $52,000 from their previous salary of approximately $38,000 per year. Voting in favour of the pay hike were Ward 1 […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[4,5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-33778","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-general_news","category-news"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p3D2k4-8MO","publishpress_future_action":{"enabled":false,"date":"2026-05-23 14:36:10","action":"change-status","newStatus":"draft","terms":[],"taxonomy":"category","extraData":[]},"publishpress_future_workflow_manual_trigger":{"enabledWorkflows":[]},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newspapers-online.com\/auroran\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/33778","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newspapers-online.com\/auroran\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newspapers-online.com\/auroran\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newspapers-online.com\/auroran\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newspapers-online.com\/auroran\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=33778"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newspapers-online.com\/auroran\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/33778\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newspapers-online.com\/auroran\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=33778"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newspapers-online.com\/auroran\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=33778"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newspapers-online.com\/auroran\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=33778"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}