No pay raise for region’s elected officials next year

By Courtney Bachar/The Oshawa Express/LJI Reporter

Durham councillors have decided to freeze their pay for next year.

Council voted unanimously in a recent council meeting to see salary, travel allowance and benefits for 2021 remain at the 2020 rates for all council members, including the regional chair.

Ajax councillor Sterling Lee and Ajax Mayor Shaun Collier brought forward the motion, noting the pandemic “continues to negatively impact economic realities for residents and businesses, now and into the foreseeable future.”

“Durham Region Council wishes to support residents and businesses throughout the crisis by continuing to provide critical municipal programs and services to the community with minimal increases to service costs and property taxes,” the motion reads.

Lee says a pay freeze sends an important message of enduring the same constraints as the community during this pandemic. He adds similar motions have already passed in other cities, including Edmonton and London.

Collier says it’s important that regional council set a precedent.

“These are very trying times and one thing we all have in common at this table is none of our incomes have been affected by COVID-19,” he says, “We’ve had the security to go on and not have to worry about that and many, many, many of our residents are not in that same situation.

He adds the pay freeze isn’t giving up anything, but rather just foregoing any potential increase, which he says is “absolutely inappropriate.”

“I am very happy to bring this forward,” he says.

While Whitby Mayor Don Mitchell endorsed the salary freeze, he says it equates to about $25,000 which won’t make any difference for residents in terms of property taxes, and won’t provide any additional relief. He says councillors can be doing more to help support those in need.

“There are lots of people who need support and it needs to be targeted. It would be more effective for everybody to go home, get on a computer, and donate $1,000 to a different local charity that you know needs the money and you know this will actually help people who need it,” he says. “It’s a gesture, but one that will actually help those who need help.”