STEPHEN RICCIO
PONTIAC Feb. 2, 2021
The MRC Pontiac Council of Mayors passed Bylaw 265-2020 in relation to remuneration of the MRC’s elected officials for 2021 during its Jan. 20 meeting, and the official bylaw became available on its website on Feb. 2.
Warden Jane Toller, who was elected by universal suffrage for the first time in the MRC during the 2017 elections, will be receiving . . .
a basic salary of $39,076 plus expenses.
Meanwhile, each mayor of the 18 municipalities would receive a set salary of $4,185.33 for the year, in addition to an amount of $190.24 for each plenary committee meeting and regular monthly meeting where the mayor is present, of which there are 11 of each type of meeting throughout the course of the year.
Therefore, should a member of the council attend both meetings each month, for a total of 22 appearances, they would be paid a total of $4,185.32 for the year on top of the set salary.
A municipality’s pro-mayor would also receive the same payment for whenever they are required to fill in for their municipality’s mayor.
The bylaw also sets out an expense allowance for each mayor, as well as the warden. That allowance is equal to half of the basic salary for the year; $2,092.66 for each mayor and $19,538 for the warden.
Members of council can also be reimbursed for mileage expenses incurred in order to appear at plenary and regular meetings, at a rate of $0.45 per kilometre.
The salary amounts are slightly increased from last year, increasing by roughly 0.49 per cent for the warden and roughly 2.49 per cent for mayors.
After being passed, the bylaw took effect on Jan. 1, 2021 and it replaced the one passed regarding council salaries from 2020, Bylaw 257-2019.
