Waterloo approves council pay bump for next term

At a time when many families are having trouble making ends meet, hearing about politicians giving themselves a pay increase is a tough pill to swallow.

With that in mind, Waterloo Mayor Dorothy McCabe told 570 NewsRadio that what was approved on Monday was not that.

“This is for the next council. The policy was very clear. We are not voting on our own salaries; this is about the next council that will be elected in late 2026.”

The audit committee looked at the council pay package, including that of the mayor, and concluded that the raise was necessary to bring council wages inline with other communities like Kitchener and Guelph. The pay increase would not come into effect until the after the next municipal election.

Despite the raise not being intended for the current council, McCabe recognizes the optics of the decision.

“There is never a good time, ever, to talk about what elected officials make. But, when the audit committee took a look at the rate our city councillors in Waterloo were making and compared that to our peers in this region, they were really, significantly behind.”

Officially, a city councillor position is considered a part-time job. McCabe pointed out that councillors work incredibly hard on behalf of their constituents, putting in hours well above part-time. So, making sure the compensation matches the time commitment was a sizable consideration.

“In order to attract people from any background, any income bracket, the salary in place for city council needed to be one that was essentially a living wage for all members of the City of Waterloo,” said McCabe, who was adamant that a variety of voices is needed around the table.

Along with the pay hike, councillors will also get a pension through the Ontario Municipal Employees Retirement System.