Markham councillors' compensation for board membership, attendance may increase

Yorkregion.com
April 5, 2016
By Amanda Persico

Markham city councillors could soon be bringing home more money.

On tonight’s agenda is a motion to increase compensation for board members of Markham Enterprises Corp. retroactive to the beginning of 2015.

If tonight’s motion passes, directors of MEC - all 13 members of council - will receive $5,000 per year, the chairperson would receive an additional $2,500 and an additional $1,000 for the vice-chairperson.

MEC is a holding company set up by the city that owns all of its PowerStream shares and 100 per cent of Markham District Energy.

The motion also calls for adding $325 per meeting to a max of 16 meetings, which includes sub-committee meeting as well.

If a director attends all 16 meetings, that could mean an additional $10,200 or an additional 13.5 per cent per year.

Several residents are calling the move “wrong-headed and inappropriate.”

While a raise is needed for local councillors, regional councillors and the mayor are at the top of the pay grade, argued Thornhill resident Marilyn Ginsburg in an email. Increasing salaries through board compensation is not the way to do it, she said.

“Under the guise of payment for work on MEC, (council will) get a substantial and permanent salary increase,” Ginsburg said. “To increase salaries using the excuse of work on MEC is not a transparent way of giving pay raises.”

The motion also applies to any future business corporation, including PowerStream’s recent merger and acquisition, but excludes any director receiving compensation from another associated board.