'Disgusting' or 'long overdue'? Stouffville debates mayor's salary hike

Salary more in line with neighbouring towns, Mayor Iain Lovatt says

YorkRegion.com
March 6, 2019
Lisa Queen

With his salary jumping to $94,800 this year up from $53,202, Whitchurch-Stouffville Mayor Iain Lovatt said the increase is justified because it brings him in line with surrounding mayors and won’t cost residents more in taxes.

There are a couple reasons behind the mayor’s salary increase.

The federal government has killed off an exemption allowing mayors and councillors not to pay income taxes on a third of their salaries, a move that added $110,000 to the town’s budget.

Lovatt’s take home pay would have been $18,900 less as a result.

“Some municipalities, including Whitchurch-Stouffville, have decided to adjust salaries upward to provide the same after tax income before and after the federal tax change,” Lovatt said.

Stabilizing Lovatt’s take home pay brought his salary up to $72,900.

A staff report showed that the mayor’s salary was 1.48 times that of a councillor’s while mayors in neighbouring municipalities were paid, on average, 2.1 times as much.

Council agreed to reflect that in the mayor's salary by increasing it to double that of a councillor.

“I am overwhelmed by the notes and emails of support I have received. People understand that a market adjustment is long overdue,” he said in an email.
Other residents, however, were quite upset.

“I find that wage increase disgusting! The residents get hit with a 4.8 per cent tax hike and I guarantee our salaries don’t go up that much,” a person using a Twitter account with the name Tracey Pike said in a spirited online exchange last weekend.

A Feb. 26 report from town chief administrative officer Roman Martiuk indicates the 2018 salaries of other N6 mayors in northern York Region were $49,034 in King, $55,310 in Georgina, $70,459 in East Gwillimbury, $95,631 in Newmarket and $97,884 in Aurora.

Each town also provides a vehicle or car allowance for their mayors.

Lovatt and other mayors and regional councillors are also paid $56,195 for sitting on regional council.

Meanwhile, Whitchurch-Stouffville council agreed to shift money in their expense accounts to ensure the mayor’s salary increase will not cost taxpayers any additional money, Lovatt said.

The shift also covered boosting councillors’ car allowances to $9,000, up from $6,000, which will bring them in line with the vehicle allowances paid to town directors.