Feature Article September 25, 2003
LAND O' LAKES NewsWeb HomeCentral Frontenac Approves Pay Increase for Councillors
In a 5-4 vote, Central Frontenac Council has given a raise to the next council, which will be elected on November 10.
There was some debate on the proposal, which will raise salaries for councillors to $10,500 per year, the deputy mayors salary to $11,500, and the mayors salary to $15,000, but in the end the salary bylaw was passed with only a minor amendment to wording.
Councillor Boyce Peters (Hinchinbrooke) said that he thought the Mayors salary should go to $13,500, the deputy Mayor to $10,500, and councillors to $9,500, while Councillor Marsden Kirk (Kennebec) said I dont think the draft bylaw is out of line.
With the deadline approaching for candidate registration, this was the final opportunity this council had to raise salaries, because Central Frontenac Council will enter what is called a lame duck status after the deadline this Friday.
A lame duck council is restricted in its ability to undertake spending initiatives, although it can carry out initiatives that are already under way. The Municipal Act says that if there is a possibility that less than 75% of the membership of a council is guaranteed to remain the same after an election, the council enters a lame duck when nominations close and the election period begins. With two candidates for Mayor, and 16 candidates for the eight council positions, there is every possibility that less than 75% of the current council will be returned after the election.
As of this week, all of the current councillors and the Mayor are running for re-election.
The four councillors who voted against the pay increase bylaw were Elva Price and Faye Putnam(Olden), Bill Snider (Hinchinbrooke), and deputy Mayor Jack Nicolson (Kennebec).
Currently the Mayors salary is $12,000, the Deputy Mayor receives $8,500, and Councillors are paid $7,500 each year.
In an earlier discussion of the salary issue, Mayor Bill MacDonald said council handles a budget of $5-6 million a year, and the County Council, which is presided over by the Mayors of the Frontenac Townships and the Mayor of the Frontenac Islands, handles a budget of over $20 million. We need professional people in these positions and they need reasonable compensation.
(Other news from the Central Frontenac Council meeting will be in next weeks paper, since we have devoted space to provincial election coverage this week)
