Toronto city councillors approve 24 per cent pay raise for themselves

City councillors have voted to give themselves a 24 per cent pay raise.

Following a debate on Thursday evening, councillors voted 15-8 in favour of the recommendations put forth in a staff report which will see the salary of elected officials jump to $170,588 from $137,537.

According to the staff report, the increase will cost the city almost $1 million more in salaries and benefits in 2025.

Councillors Brad Bradford, Alejandra Bravo, Vincent Crisanti, Paula Fletcher, Stephen Holyday, Parthi Kandavel, Frances Nunziata, and Gord Perks all voted against the motion.

A motion by Coun. Holyday to keep salaries at their current level failed 18-5.

“If we do this, it further erodes people’s confidence in government, and I don’t think that we should do it,” said the Etobicoke Centre councillor.

Mayor Olivia Chow, one of three members of council who were not present for the vote on Thursday night, said previously that the $33,000 raise was a “bit steep.”

Coun. Shelley Carroll, who is also the city’s budget chief, says this is a “fair adjustment,” noting that this issue was passed over and deferred several times by previous municipal governments.

“We know that these are tough times for Torontonians, and we’re very concerned about the economy …but the fact remains we do need to get on with that work and we need to attract the very best. This wage adjustment allows us to do that,” she said. “We set this rate so that it does adjust upwards, but it will still be lower than a number of the GTA municipalities.”

Councillors argued their last salary increase was almost 20 years ago, adding that they were earning considerably less than councillors in neighbouring municipalities while serving significantly larger wards. The staff report found that on a per-constituent basis, Toronto city councillors were the lowest paid when compared to councillors in neighbouring jurisdictions such as Brampton, Mississauga, Markham and Vaughan.

“We deserve a raise,” Coun. Paula Fletcher said on Wednesday. “I’m not sure exactly how much, but sure, we do deserve a raise.”

Chow, whose salary is not impacted by the council vote, suggested the decision on raises should be made by a third party and not councillors, calling it an irresponsible move given the affordability crisis affecting many Torontonians.

“I do think it’s pretty rich for the Mayor to come out and lecture council, given all of the tax hikes she’s subjected Torontonians to, and not everybody has access to three government-funded pensions,” said Coun. Brad Bradford ahead of Thursday’s vote.

The union representing almost 30,000 city workers says while councillors deserve fair compensation, they called on elected members to recognize that the same applies to the unionized workers who keep Toronto running.

“While the most recent round of negotiations secured better outcomes for front-line workers, no one received a raise anywhere near 24%. The average hourly wage of a Local 79 member working for the City is approximately $36 an hour,” CUPE Local 79 said in a statement ahead of Thursday’s vote.

Councillors ratified a new four-year contract with the city’s workers on Wednesday that will see them receive annual wage increases between three and almost four per cent through 2028.