CORNWALL – After two reports to council with recommendations, SDG Counties council approved a bylaw that increases their pay starting in 2026.
The bylaw increases the annual honorarium that the warden and councillors receive to a rate equal to the average of seven of the two-tier municipal councils in Eastern Ontario. The Warden will receive $52,518.44, while Councillors will each receive $22,014.39.
The bylaw also puts council pay in line with SDG policy for staff pay increases, which is based off the Consumer Price Index in Ontario with limits. If the CPI is at or below one per cent, council pay will increase by one per cent. If the CPI is higher than three per cent, council pay will increase by three per cent that year. Council honorariums are compensation for regular and special council meetings, along with closed session, inaugural, emergency, and budget meetings of council.
Meeting allowances remain unchanged at $219.49 per meeting plus mileage. This is compensation for council members when they serve on boards and committees, as well as SDG events. A proposed half-day meeting rate was nixed at the August meeting during discussions.
Conference expenses will increase to $675 per day or $2,025 – this is for conferences like Rural Ontario Municipalities Association or Open Roads conferences and does not include registration fees or per diems.
Formal funding for the Warden’s Banquet increased from $5,000 to $7,000, which reflects already approved budget increases. Some of that is offset by ticket sales to the banquet.
Clerk Kimberly Casselman told council the increases will take effect on January 1, 2026. Council unanimously passed the bylaw without discussion at their September 15 council meeting.
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