As they struggled to find savings in the County budget, members of County Council took a break to ponder their own salaries last week.

At the previous meeting, they had requested a report on the salaries of County Councillors in neighbouring districts. It turns out the most other Councils pay their members substantially more, up to double what Frontenac County Councillors receive.

Members of Frontenac County Council receive $5,000 each year, and the Warden receives $12,000. Members Frontenac County Conucil also receive pay as Mayors of their own townships.

North Frontenac Mayor Ron Maguire said he has  found the amount of work required to be a responsible County Councillor takes up a considerable amount of time, and said “ I think it would be reasonable for us to raise the wage to $10,000 for Coucil members and $25,000 for the Warden.

Central Frontenac Mayor Bill MacDonald said he thought it was an appropriate time to be discussing a pay increase. “This should be considered now, at the end of our mandate when we may be facing the electorate this year, not in the first year or our term when we would be collecting for our years before anyone had a chance to call us to account.”

Frontenac Islands Mayor Jim VandenHoek said “I consider being a member of County Council to be more or less a public service, but I wouldn’t stand in the way of a modest increase, say $6,500 for each Councillor and $15,000 for the Warden.”

The other three Mayors accepted this proposal and the rate was set. The increase will cost Frontenac County taxpayers $7,000 each year.