Kitchener hires consultant to review mayor and council salaries
Posted Feb 5, 2026 05:00:00 AM.
Last Updated Feb 5, 2026 10:08:21 AM.
Kitchener council is set to bring in a consultant to review the salaries of elected officials ahead of the next election this fall.
At a City of Kitchener council meeting this week, council approved hiring a consultant to review the mayor and council’s compensation, with a focus on potential pay changes ahead of the next municipal election in October.
According to the report, the consultant and subsequent review could cost between $15,000 and $25,000.
Changes made to salaries could be applied to the 2026-2030 term after being approved by councillors at a public meeting.
The cities of Cambridge and Waterloo are also in the process of reviewing the compensation of their elected officials.
In November, the Waterloo council approved a 32 per cent pay increase for the mayor and council, effective after the October election. This means, starting next term, councillors are set to make $58,400 each year, and the mayor will earn around $132,500.
Cambridge council received a report this week from an independent consultant who reviewed the salaries of elected officials at the city. Their findings showed that Mayor Jan Liggett earns just over $135,000 as an annual salary through her full-time position, but the review’s “complexity-adjusted role-value” shows that she should be making $124,255, which is 8.4 per cent less than what she currently earns.
Additionally, city councillors earn $56,206 through their part-time salaried position, but should be earning $59,827, or around 6.4 per cent more than they’re currently making, according to the same report.
