Pay raise proposed for ND Council members

by Brandon Mayer

       The most recent North Dundas council meeting took place on April 9, when the present issue of the Times was already with the printer. That meeting – which had an agenda packed with routine business – will be covered in the April 24 issue. 
One item in the agenda package will answer a question some residents may have – how much do taxpayers pay members of council for the work they do? 
       Compared to other SD&G lower tier municipalities, North Dundas council remuneration ranked below average in 2024. The Mayor was paid $32,428.52 in 2024, which is 4.1% below the SD&G average. Councillors were paid $17,112.53, falling 10.2% below average. The member who was most underpaid, according to the math, was the Deputy Mayor at 19.4% below average, or $19,385.64 in 2024. This was a full $10,000 lower than the salary paid to the Deputy Mayor of North Stormont, SD&G’s smallest municipality. A proposed adjustment will bridge this gap, which is important since the gap is vulnerable to scrutiny, given that the Deputy Mayor is the only female member of Council. 
       The 2025 salaries proposed at the April 9 meeting, intended to help North Dundas salaries catch up to the SD&G average, were $35,447.57 for the Mayor, $24,302.89 for the Deputy Mayor, and $19,805.48 for Councillors. Under the proposed by-law, salaries would increase annually according to the consumer price index. 
       Council members’ salaries cover all regularly scheduled and special session council meetings within the calendar year, meaning that there is no extra pay for extra meetings that get added. Council members are also eligible to receive small reimbursements for sitting as committee members, and a larger stipend for attending conferences. Other standard job perks apply as well, the full likes of which can be viewed in the agenda package at https://pub-northdundas.escribemeetings.com/FileStream.ashx?DocumentId=14174
       Graphics are provided giving the council remuneration figures for 2024 across SD&G, and the figures for 2025 and beyond for North Dundas that were proposed at the April 9 meeting. The results of the discussion unfortunately could not be included here due to print deadlines, but will be covered next issue. For those who can’t wait, the April 9 meeting can be viewed on YouTube at http://www.youtube.com/@townshipofnorthdundas3550