Toronto City Councillor James Pasternak is calling for an updated review of councillor salaries, citing an incomplete report from 2019 as a reason for revisiting the issue. Pasternak’s motion, set for next week’s council meeting, requests that staff present an “updated comparative review” of councillor compensation by December, potentially leading to salary adjustments in line with comparable roles in other cities.
The initial call for a compensation review followed the Ford government’s 2018 decision to reduce the number of Toronto wards, increasing the constituency size for each councillor. Despite hiring a third-party consultant to examine the issue, no report has been presented to council.
Currently, Toronto city councillors earn $133,776.24 annually, indexed to inflation. However, unlike counterparts in cities such as Mississauga, Toronto councillors do not receive extra pay for serving on additional boards or commissions. In Mississauga, for instance, councillors make $94,704 but earn an additional $60,012.25 for sitting on the Peel Regional Council.
Pasternak’s motion, seconded by Councillor Chris Moise, will require a two-thirds majority to be added to next week’s agenda. Mayor Olivia Chow, whose 2024 salary is $225,304.04, stated she had not yet reviewed the proposal, saying, “Let’s look at what he’s proposing and let me talk to some other councillors.”
The proposed review aims to address whether Toronto councillors’ salaries fairly reflect the expanded responsibilities they now face.